Caz tennis players battle at state qualifier

By PHIL BLACKWELL

Though its main focus was on what it would do in the state team tournament, individuals on the Cazenovia boys tennis team remained sharp with strong efforts in last week’s Section III state qualifier at Utica Parkway.

Traian Cherciu had the no. 4 seed in singles and won his round-of-16 match 6-4, 6-3 over New Hartford’s Evan Lyga, only to get beat in the quarterfinals 6-3, 6-4 by Liverpool’s Justin Barrett.

Just above them, Garret Lounsbury started out well, too,k handling Westhill/ Onondaga’s Jon Massaro 6-3, 6-3, only to run into the top seed, Cooperstown’s Gunter Weldon, in the quarterfinals and lose 6-0, 6-3.

As for Gabe Reagan, he could not hold an early lead to Manlius Pebble Hill’s Jaasim Zaman and lost, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, while Chittenango’s Logan Bronner was swept 6-0, 6-0 by Indian River’s Sam Yang.

Over in doubles, both of the Lakers’ teams lost their opening matches. Cy Laurie and Ethan Camp took a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to Jamesville-DeWitt’s Carson Souser and Will Sharlow, while Evan Molloy and Max Reger ran into Cooperstown’s Henry Ayers and Albert Caulier and lost a 6-4, 6-4 decision.