The undefeated boys tennis team takes on undeated Dover Sherborn in the finals of the division three south sectional tournament after a dramatic 3-2 win Thursday in the semi-finals over Sturgis West.
The match begins at 1:30 p.m. today, June 25, at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School courts.
The boys teams played the first two rounds of the playoffs without their number one singles player Max Potter. Eric Reubens, playing at the number two singles position all season, moved up to the number one spot, and number three singles Jacob Riis moved to the number two spot. The team had to forfeit the number three singles position for the quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
On Monday the team cruised through its match with Monomoy winning 4-1, the only loss the forfeit at third singles. But Thursday’s semi-final match was a different story.
Reubens and Riis won their singles matches, but Ben Belisle and Jack Marshard were defeated at second doubles, leaving the match at a 2-2 tie due to the forfeit at third singles. The outcome of the match would be decided by the first doubles match, with the Vineyard’s Clyde Smith and Teagan Myers taking on Norm Pickett and Corey Landry of Sturgis West.
The winners circle: Jack Marshard, Teagan Myers, Clyde Smith, Ben Belisle, Eric Reubens, Jacob Riis.
— Mark Alan Lovewell
The first set went to a 7-6 tiebreaker in favor of Smith and Myers and the second set was nearly as close. But as fans sat on the edge of their seats at the regional high school, Smith and Myers took the second set 7-5 to seal the team’s trip to the finals.
The team plays at full strength today as Max Potter returns to the lineup.
The girls tennis ended their playoff run on Thursday with a tough 3-2 loss to Foxborough High School.
