Lenape boys fall just short of state net title

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - They went farther than any team in Lenape boys' tennis history.

They just didn't go all the way.

Lenape reached the Group 4 state finals for the first time in the history of the program. But the Indians dropped a 3-2 decision Thursday to Union County power Westfield, which won its fourth state title in a row.

"I'm disappointed, but they were better," Lenape senior No. 1 singles Nikola Kocovic said. "It still was a great season."

Haddonfield received great work from its doubles teams, winning in the Group 2 semifinals before losing in the state finals by a 3-2 score to Chatham, the No. 1 team in the state in the Newark Star-Ledger rankings.

"Our doubles were great," said Haddonfield coach Jeff Holman, referring to Ty Simcox and Luke Grabiak at No. 1 and Ian Roberts and Sean Campbell at No. 2.

Moorestown lost in the Group 3 semifinals, and Pitman (Group 1) and Moorestown Friends (Non-Public B) lost in the state finals in other action at the Tennis Center in Mercer County Park.

Lenape reached the state finals with a 3-2 victory over Central Jersey champion Montgomery in Thursday's semifinals.

Kocovic won both of his matches, improving to 31-0. He is the No. 2 seed in the state singles tournament.

Lenape junior Mike Humes also won both of his matches at No. 2 singles to improve to 36-1.

Lenape sophomore Mike Perrone won at No. 3 singles in the semifinals but lost to Adam Reich, who was Westfield's first singles player in 2009, in the state finals.

"I'm very proud of my kids," said Lenape coach Tony Guerrera, whose team finished 21-3. "They should focus on what they did, not what they didn't do."

Moorestown lost to West Windsor North by 3-2, an outcome that was a twist on a typical Quakers match.

Pierce Cooper won at first singles and Brandon Greenwood won at second singles for Moorestown. But the Quakers were beaten at their traditional areas of strength, at third singles and both doubles.

"It was a reverse of what we needed to do," said Moorestown No. 3 singles Mike Bass, a senior.

Moorestown coach Bill Kingston was disappointed to lose in the semifinals, especially since his first two singles players rose to the occasion.

"If you had told me we'd win at 1 and 2 . . ." Kingston said after the Quakers finished 28-4. "We had a solid, balanced team, but they were better."

Haddonfield beat Manasquan, 3-2, in the semifinals, getting victories from No. 3 singles Matt Godlewski as well as the doubles teams.

"We got as much as we could out of this team," Holman said after the Bulldogs finished 29-5.

Pitman (21-3) advanced to the state finals by beating a depleted South River team, 5-0, in the semifinals. South River was missing its usual Nos. 1 and 2 singles players and both of its No. 1 doubles players because of other commitments.

Pitman lost to New Providence, 41/2-1/2, in the state finals.

Moorestown Friends (14-6) lost to Dwight-Englewood, 4-1, in the Non-Public B finals. The Foxes' No. 1 singles, senior Eric Maertin, lost by 6-2, 6-0 to hard-serving Dan Shutov, the No. 3 seed in the coming state singles tournament.

GROUP 4

Semifinals

Lenape 3, Montgomery 2

Singles: Nikola Kocovic, L, d. Mike Goldman, 6-0, 6-1; Mike Humes, L, d. Mitchell Ren, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4; Mike Perrone, L, d. Justin Chang, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles: Shehab Saad and Nate Seto, M, d. Marc Reynaud and Dan Sha, 6-2, 6-3; Alessandro Salapari and Clark Chapman, M, d. Kevin Lauria and Mike Sha, 6-1, 6-4.

Finals

Westfield 3, Lenape 2

Singles: Kocovic, L, d. Scott Bernstein, 6-3, 6-2; Humes, L, d. Justin Snyder, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2); Adam Reich, W, d. Perrone, 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles: Grahme Stahl and Aan Chu, W, d. Reynaud and D. Sha, 6-1, 6-0; Tom Kowalski and Scott Thompson, W, d. Lauria and M. Sha, 6-1, 6-1.

GROUP 3

Semifinals

West Windsor North 3, Moorestown 2

Singles: Pierce Cooper, M, d. Tim Wu, 6-2, 6-1; Brandon Greenwood, M, d. Evan Samet, 7-5, 6-4; Brandon Frank, WWN, d. Mike Bass, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles: Abishy Pandita and Kevin Shi, WWN, d. Matt Holzinger and Mike Schwartz, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4); Kevin Kurfirst and Kevin Shock, WWN, d. Colin Groundwater and Justin Wisniewski, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

Finals

Millburn 3, West Windsor North 2

GROUP 2

Semifinals

Haddonfield 3, Manasquan 2

Singles: Maclane Smoke, M, d. Will Lawlor, 6-0, 6-0; Chris Sabaitis, M, d. Brian Oatway, 6-2, 6-3; Matt Godlewski, H, d. Hugh Ferguson, 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles: Ty Simcox and Luke Grabiak, H, d. Jim Avidas and Pete Tausek, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4; Ian Roberts and Sean Campbell, H, d. Dave Angstedt and Andrew Hannah, 6-2, 6-4.

Finals

Chatham 3, Haddonfield 2

Singles: Pat Monaghan, C, d. Lawlor, 6-0, 6-2; Quentin Monaghan, C, d. Oatway, 6-3, 6-0; Matt Romei, C, d. Godlewski, 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles: Simcox and Grabiak, H, d. Matt Evans and Andreas Coppoca, 6-2, 6-2; Roberts and Campbell, H, d. Chris Harvey and Chad Gildersleeve, 6-3 6-2.

GROUP 1

Semifinals

Pitman 5, South River 0

Singles: Dewey Pfeiffer d. Ryan Geesey, 6-0, 6-1; Dan Hays d. Adam Gerhartz, 6-2, 6-2; Eric Todd d. Chris Gomes, 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles: Jon Sjolander and Torrey Langlois d. Edwin Chajotto and Chris Maltz, 6-0, 6-1; Drew Shirley and Neil Pladus d. Jose DeCarluahla and Roland Knidlen, 6-1, 6-3.

Finals

New Providence 41/2 Pitman 1/2

Singles: Dylan Glendenning, NP, d. Pfeiffer, 6-0, 6-0; Hays, P, halved Javier Sanchez, 3-6, 2-1; Rick VanKimanaede, NP, d. Todd, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles: James Davies and Bob Libera, NP, d. Sjolander and Langlois, 6-3, 6-2; Tony Theratill and Mike Herrigel, NP, d. Shirley and Pladus, 6-3, 6-0.

NON-PUBLIC A

Finals

Delbarton 5, Christian Brothers 0

NON-PUBLIC B

Finals

Dwight-Englewood 4, Moorestown Friends

Singles: Dan Shutov, D, d. Eric Maertin, 6-2, 6-0; Max Sack, D, d. Alex Timber, 6-0, 6-1; Jason Katz, D, d. David White, 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles: Francis Loh and Eric Rosengart, D, d. Josh Myers and Shawn Gupta, 6-0, 6-2; Jake Brown and Luke Timber, MF, d. Mike Shin and Luke Sherman, 6-4, 6-2.