Sports

h.s. tennis

By Tom Robinson
Go Lackawanna sports correspondent

EDWARDSVILLE – Henry Cornell wanted to get in one more serve before there were any distracting reactions on the adjacent tennis court at Kirby Park on Wednesday afternoon.

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Nick Strzeletz of Wyoming Seminary lunges for a the ball as Walker Temperton of Scranton Prep anticipates the ball coming back over the net during a doubles match at the District 2 Class 2A tennis championships at Kirby Park on Wednesday.

PETE G. WILCOX/the times leader

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Cornell was about a second too late to meet that goal.

Seconds after Scranton Prep celebrated tying the team score in the District 2 Class 2A team tennis championship match, Cornell and partner Philipp Seeburger won the next point to clinch their doubles match and lift Wyoming Seminary to the team title with a 3-2 victory.

Cornell put his serve in play despite the spontaneous reaction from Scranton Prep supporters. Seeburger followed with two consecutive overhead shots that led to an errant return and gave Wyoming Seminary the team point at second doubles with a 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Jay B. Patel and Jay N. Patel.

The Wyoming Seminary victory, in the completion of a match that was suspended by rain Tuesday, ended Scranton Prep’s four-year run as District 2 Class 2A champion.

The Blue Knights carried a 1-0 lead overnight – action was halted because of rain – with each team having an advantage in the two close matches that remained.

Without disrespecting Scranton Prep – a team that went unbeaten in Lackawanna League Division 2 play – Wyoming Seminary coach Mike Balutanski said it was important that his players did not put the defending champions on a pedestal.

“All I told them was, ‘get a good night’s rest, make sure you eat right and keep in mind that the other team did not demonstrate that they are better than you,’” Balutanski said.

When play resumed, the close matches got closer and the trailing team came from behind in each doubles match. Of the four sets decided Wednesday, two went to tiebreakers and the other two were won by 7-5 scores.

“I was thinking about which match would be the deciding one out of the four left,” Cornell said. “I thought it might come down to us.”

Seeburger was thinking the same way.

“My friends told me doubles would be decisive,” Seeburger said. “I was thinking ‘what do I have to do? What do I have to watch for?’”

Fortunately, Seeburger had a partner with which he clicks. The senior joined Cornell, a freshman, after Balutanski tried various doubles combinations. The team went 5-0, losing just two sets, including one against Scranton Prep.

“We play great as a team,” Seeburger said. “When one of us misses a shot, we motivate each other.

“It was the combination that fit together the best at the end.”

Cornell-Seeburger began the day facing a 2-1 deficit in the third set after losing the second set Tuesday. They rallied to lead, 5-3, before Patel-Patel made one more surge for a 5-5 tie.

The Wyoming Seminary team broke serve, giving Cornell the chance to serve for the win.

“Henry Cornell hit a forehand that I will never forget in the alley to make it 40-15,” Balutanski said.

One serve later, it was over and the district title belonged to the Blue Knights.

Wyoming Seminary will face the District 11 champion May 18 for the chance to be one of eight Class 2A teams playing in the state tournament at the Hershey Racquet Club on May 21-22.

The top two singles players gave Wyoming Seminary the other points it needed for a district title and state tournament berth.

George Parkhurst beat Scranton Prep’s Paranjay Malholtra, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) in a meeting of the top two seeds in the Class 2A singles tournament that begins today at Kirby Park (Class 2A) and Wyoming Seminary (Class 3A). Parkhurst is the top seed.

Harry Parkhurst, George’s brother, beat Al Marchese, 7-5, 6-1, Tuesday for the first point of the championship match.

Scranton Prep got its points at third singles and first doubles.

Jeff DeSanto stopped Bijoy Ghosh, 6-1, 7-5. Walker Tempesta-Will Cognetti beat Nick Strzeletz-Ibon Iparrabay, 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5).