The undefeated regional high school boys’ tennis team continued its champion season run on Saturday, advancing to the state semifinals for the first time in the program’s history by defeating Dover-Sherborn. The third-seeded girls’ team, which has also had an outstanding season, saw a different outcome on Friday after a marathon two-day match against second-seeded Cohasset ended with a loss. Cohasset will now advance to the state semi-finals.
The girls’ match for the section title was played in four different locations over a period of two days. Third singles Wendy Wen was graceful under pressure. After play was halted in her match Thursday evening so the team could make the last boat home, the team returned on Friday with the match tied 2-2 to complete play at the Scituate Racquet Club — and Wen fell to her opponent before a full crowd of Cohasset supporters.
Cohasset and the Vineyard had identical 18-2 records and the home court advantage had been decided by a coin toss.
Meanwhile, on Saturday the boys won a close 3-2 match to take the title of Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 3 South Section champions.
The Vineyarders move to a 21-0, a school record. They travel to Lexington on Monday to compete against Weston, last year’s state champion.
“It’s pretty exciting to win this for the first time ever and to do it against such an excellent team,” head coach Ned Fennessy said after the match that was played at Old Rochester Regional in Mattapoisett under clear blue skies. A small crowd of Vineyard and parents supporters traveled to the match cheer the team on.
Co-captain Justice Yennie took the first win of the day at third singles, going 6-4, 6-2 against Russ Daly. For Yennie, a junior, it marked his 41st win in a row. He is undefeated through two seasons.
“I was a little worried because it went to three sets last time,” he said afterward. “But I thought I could win, I thought I could pull it out.”
Fellow captain and junior Kent Leonard said the team as a whole had a similar attitude going into the match.
“We beat them twice before, so we thought we could win,” he said.
Leonard also won his match, taking a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Harry Stone.
The first doubles duo of Jackson McBride and Natty Schneider powered to a 6-3, 6-4 win over Stefano Barbier and Alex Qian-Wang.
At second singles, Patrick McCarthy pushed his match to three sets, with the third going into a tiebreaker, before falling to opponent Christian Baker. Second doubles pair Justin Smith and Ryan Sawyer also had a three-set match, falling 6-2, 2-6, 3-6.
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