WILKES-BARRE – Abington Heights showed off the top-to-bottom strength of its boys tennis lineup on the way to its ninth straight District 2 Class 3A championship.
The Comets added the district title to their Lackawanna League championship when they won semifinal and final matches at Kirby Park May 5, improving their record at that point to 16-0 with 15 shutouts.
Abington Heights ruined Scranton’s first trip to the final, 3-0, after beating North Pocono by the same score in the semifinals.
Scranton Prep was the only opponent to score a team point against the Comets prior to the state tournament.
“Doubles is where we spent the most time working this year,” said Art Comstock, who returned to his previous role of head coach of the Comets this season. “We had so much progress developing doubles players. I’m very happy with how they’re moving along.”
The first doubles team of Luke Morgan-Ryan Salony and No. 3 singles player Domenic Peters each won twice on the final day of the district tournament.
“The guys were ready to play,” Comstock said. “Sometimes when the lights shine on you, some guys step up.
“All of our guys stepped up, which was nice to see.”0
Morgan-Salony defeated North Pocono’s Ethan Garibaldi-Casey Jones, 6-0, 6-2, and Scranton’s Harrison Kubilus-Parth Patel, 6-1, 6-1.
Peters defeated North Pocono’s Fred Kloss, 6-2, 6-1, and Scranton’s Vraj Patel, 6-0, 6-0, in the final.
“Against Scranton, Domenic Peters played probably one of the better matches I’ve seen him play all season,” Comstock said.
Gavin Ross-Connor Clearwater, who were two games from a win when the semifinal was halted, provided the other point in the final, beating Jay Patel-Bhabya Patel, 6-1, 6-2, in the Scranton match.
Sam Christman won the second singles match against North Pocono and was up a set with a 3-0 lead in the second set when the final was stopped with the title decided.
Praneel Mallaiah won the first set in both No. 1 singles matches. He was ahead, 5-0, in the second set against Scranton.
“Praneel was fantastic in the first match against North Pocono in the semis,” Comstock said. “Sam was also awesome in the first match.”
STATE TOURNAMENT
CLARK SUMMIT – Unionville from District 1 was too much for Abington Heights in the first match of the state tournament May 17 at Birchwood Tennis & Fitness Center, sweeping doubles on the way to a 3-0 victory.
Unionville improved to 19-2.
Mallaiah battled Andrew Ou before falling in the first set, 7-5, at first singles.
Ross-Clearwater, in both sets of No. 2 doubles, and Peters, in the second set of No. 3 singles, each won their games before dropping those sets.
