Pa. Boys: Aces win district team tennis title
Lower Merion usually doesn't break a sweat in winning the District 1 Class AAA team tennis championship. The Aces did yesterday, and it wasn't because the temperature was 82 degrees at Perkiomen Valley.
Lower Merion
usually doesn't break a sweat in winning the District 1 Class AAA team tennis championship.
The Aces did yesterday, and it wasn't because the temperature was 82 degrees at Perkiomen Valley.
With the match score tied at 2, Robby Kay needed to win his second singles match with Zach Johnson to enable Lower Merion to beat
Great Valley
, 3-2, for the title.
It was the third straight district crown for the Aces.
With both teams watching, Kay outlasted Johnson, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
It was even closer than that, according to assistant coach Dave O'Connell.
"This is our third straight [district] title and this is the closest any team has come to beating us," he said. "[Kay] was down, 15-40, while serving in the last set and came back to win that game. Had he lost, it could have been a 5-5 tie in the third set."
Great Valley made the Aces sweat on the basis of a terrific performance by its singles players.
Johnson, Mark Milbrandt and John Haskell all needed to win their matches against Council Rock North for the Patriots to even reach the finals. In a semifinal match earlier yesterday, Great Valley defeated
Council Rock North
, 3-2.
The trio made things interesting in the final as Milbrandt topped Lower Merion's Courtney Scott, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, at first singles and Haskell defeated Steven Chen, 6-1, 6-4, at third singles.
With those two matches out of the way and the doubles matches already completed, everything hinged on Kay, and he delivered.
"We felt like we really needed to get one win in the singles," O'Connell said. "The kids did not go totally nuts, but they were relieved."
Lower Merion defeated
Radnor
, 4-1, in one semifinal earlier in the day. The Aces advance to the first round of states, also at Perkiomen Valley, on Tuesday against the third-place team from District 3. Great Valley will travel to Arthur Ashe Tennis Center to face District 12 champion Central.
Class AA.
At Plymouth Whitemarsh,
Lower Moreland
claimed the title with a 4-1 win over perennial power
Harriton
. The Lions swept all three singles matches, led by defending state champion Taylor Cohen, who topped Harrison Abrams, 6-2, 6-3.
"We have three extremely strong singles players; they're a dream team," Lower Moreland coach Jeanette Housman said.
Other singles wins went to Sam Harmatz and Drew Hoffman.
Baseball
Methacton
clinched a share of the Suburban One American Conference title with a 3-0 win over visiting
Plymouth Whitemarsh
.
Jordan Carter pitched a complete game, striking out five and walking none. Matt Bruno hit a two-run home run and Joe Jurbala added a solo shot.
Jordan Waxman's grand slam helped host
Quakertown
top
Springfield
(Montgomery County), 11-6.
Bicentennial.
Rich Aiello pitched a five-inning three-hitter and Matt McGrath went 2 for 2 as host
Calvary Christian
pummeled
Girard College
, 14-1. Aiello struck out 11 and walked three.
Tri-County.
Matt Ciraco homered for the sixth time in as many games, leading host
Perkiomen School
past
West-Mont Christian
, 13-3.
Nonleague.
Steve Harrington's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a tie and gave host
Penn Charter
a 6-5 win over
Central
, the 400th victory in the 29-year career of coach Rick Mellor.
Nick Buscillo scored from second base after Tim Cooney beat out a fielder's choice, giving host
Malvern Prep
a 4-3 win over
Coatesville
, the 34th win for the Friars (34-2).
Volleyball
Fels
defeated visiting
Overbrook
, 25-19, 25-20 and 25-21, in a Public League match dedicated to coach John Bissett. On Tuesday, Bissett underwent successful quadruple bypass surgery. Athletic director Lou Moyerman subbed for Bissett, and the players signed the ball afterward and presented it to Bissett.