Caz boys tennis earns return trip to state final four

By PHil BlACkWEll

For the second year in a row, the Cazenovia boys tennis team would make it to the last weekend of the season and take part in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships.

The Lakers did so repeating as regional champi- ons, earning that crown last Tuesday when it gained a 5-0 sweep over Section VII champion Plattsburgh.

It helped, no doubt, that top singles player Traian Cherciu won his match in an injury default, but fellow singles players Garret Lounsbury and Gabe Reagan went the full length for their victories.

Moving to doubles, Cazenovia’s team of Evan Molloy and Max Reger gained a point, as did Ethan Camp and Cy Laurie.

This Friday morning at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, Cazenovia will meet the Long Island champions.

Back in late May, Ca- zenovia took part in the singles and doubles sectional state qualifying tournaments, where Cherciu and Lounsbury both reached the quarterfinals.

As the no. 4 seed, Cherciu beat New Hatford’s Evan Lyga 6-4, 6-3, only to drop a 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal decision to the no. 5 seed, Liverpool’s Justin Barrett, who went on to finish third and reach the state tournament.

Lounsbury beat Onondaga’s Jon Massaro 6-3, 6-3 to earn his spot in the quarterfinals, but ran into the top seed, Cooperstown’s Gunter Weldon, and lost 6-0, 6-3.

Reagan lost his openinground match 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 to Manlius Pebble Hill’s Jassim Zaman, while in doubles Cam and Lurie fell 6-4, 6-1, to JamesvilleDeWitt’s Carson Souser and Will Sharlow. Molloy and Reger dropped their opening-round match to Cooperstown’s Henry Ayers and Albert Caulier 6-4, 6-4.