It was upside down.
Moorestown proved to be the best tennis team in South Jersey this season because of the strength of the base of its lineup: Third singles and both doubles.
But in the Group 3 state semifinals against West Windsor North, Moorestown won No. 1 and No. 2 singles and lost the match by a 3-2 score.
"It was the reverse of what we needed to do," Moorestown senior No. 3 singles Mike Bass said.
Still, that result was instructive: It showed the caliber of competition at the state level and also underscored Moorestown's depth and balance.
The Quakers went 28-4.
They did not lose to a South Jersey team.
They went 2-0 against South Jersey Group 4 champion Lenape.
They beat previously undefeated Ocean City in the South Jersey Group 3 final.
"Our team relied on its balance, winning a number of close matches with the bottom three points but at times winning key matches elsewhere as well," Moorestown coach Bill Kingston said.
That state semifinal was a good example.
The Quakers got victories from sophomore No. 1 Pierce Cooper, who finished with a 30-11 record, as well as senior No. 2 singles Brandon Greenwood, who finished 27-9.
Moorestown's strength was its balance.
Bass had a 28-6 record at No. 3 singles and won key matches in both victories over Lenape.
The first doubles team of senior Mike Schwartz and junior Matt Holzinger has a 30-3 record entering Tuesday's quarterfinal round of the state doubles tournament.
The second doubles team of senior Justin Wisniewski and junior Colin Groundwater finished with a 28-4 record.