District 11 champs both ousted in the first round
The PIAA team tennis tournament has not been kind to District 11 over the past few years.
The last time a local team advanced past the first round of the state championships was 2019, when Moravian Academy advanced to the 2A quarterfinals. The Lions were semifinalists in 2018.
That unfortunate drought continued on Tuesday when District 11 champions Central Catholic (2A) and Liberty (3A) were both ousted in the first round by an identical 3-0 score.
The two Eastern Pennsylvania Conference teams could only watch, as an otherwise successful season came to a close.
The Vikings were swept by District 2 champion Dallas at Birchwood Racquet Club in Clarks Summit on Tuesday morning. In the afternoon, the Hurricanes were blanked by District 1 fourthplace finisher Downingtown East at Winning Touch Tennis in Allentown.
Class 2A
Heading into its match with the Mountaineers, Central was the clear underdog at the top of its lineup. Dallas has a talented brother tandem at the first two singles slots in Kyle and Tucker Chesman.
The Chesmans helped the Mountaineers to a quick 2-0 burst. Kyle Chesman made short work of Central’s top player Tim Spinosa, 6-2, 6-0, while Tucker Chesman did not lose a game against Charles Long at No. 2 singles.
Dallas added its third point at No. 1 doubles when the team of Luca DeRome-Jason Joshi dispatched Jake Zeller-Danny Patruno, 6-2, 6-2.
Despite not finding a groove in those three matches, the Vikings did shine bright in the other spots of their lineup.
Central won the first set at No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles, but those two matches went unfinished when the team score was officially clinched in favor of Dallas.
The Vikings, who won their second-straight title a couple of weeks ago, close out the season with a record of 12-8.
Class 3A
Once again, a District 11 big school fell victim to a District 1 opponent in the first round of the state tournament.
The Hurricanes dropped four of the five first sets and couldn’t find a way back in an early exit at the hands of Downingtown East.
With how successful Liberty is in doubles, it was the Cougars’ depth that proved to be the difference.
The No. 1 doubles duo of Abhineet Srivastava-Rohun Gargya and the No. 2 team of Adi Shankar-Bala Godavarthi each won in straight sets, dropping only a combined five games.
Downingtown East clinched when No. 1 player Shrihan Madam fended off a late rally from Shayaan Farhad, 6-1, 6-4. The Hurricane took a 4-3 lead to give the ’Canes some hope, but eventually bowed out.
The Hurricanes saw success at No. 2 and 3 singles, as Roman
Farhad and Luke Appleman were ahead late in their matches when the team score was decided.
Liberty’s loss marks the 13th-straight year an area 3A team was matched up with District 1 in the first round of states, all of which resulted in losses.
The last District 11 3A team to face a non-District 1 opponent at team states was Parkland in 2008. Ironically, that’s the same year an area 3A team last won its first round match — a Trojan triumph over District 3’s Hempfield.
In fact, Parkland was victorious in the first round of states in four-straight years (2005-08). And the last time a District 11 big school advanced past the first day was when Emmaus broke through to the semifinals in 2002. The Green Hornets were also semifinalists the year before, in 2001, which was the inception of the team event.
Despite the tough loss, Liberty has a lot to build on from a season where it reclaimed a district championship, an EPC tournament title and finished with an overall record of 19-2.