No. 2 PVIAC boys tennis falls in D-IV state tournament semifinals

SPRINGFIELD — No. 3 Manchester Essex came away with a 5-0 victory on Tuesday, knocking off the No. 2 Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School boy’s tennis team at Forest Park in the MIAA Division IV state tournament semifinals.

But despite the outcome, the Dragons boys tennis team smiled while displaying authentic sportsmanship. They understood this was another step in the journey and with the team’s nucleus still in place next year, they can look ahead towards replicating and improving upon this year’s successes.

“We will continue and try to build the program and keep young kids coming in,” PVIAC boys tennis coach Michael Locher said. “We’ve just got this pipeline, and the goal is to continue to be a strong program for years to come.

PVIAC finishes its season with a 19-1 record. Locher hopes that the team can grow from it’s first loss and only loss of the season and will be a point of reflection from a great season while offering insight into the potential to better, along with how the collective reception from Western Mass has been.

“I want them not just to be successful but also have fun,” he said. “I just want to thank everyone for the support. I’ve had many coaches from Western Mass send me congratulations; it’s a great feeling to see everyone come together.”

The Dragons’ roster was full of notable accolades, such as second singles star Lee Ferguson. The sixth-grader suffered his first loss of the season, falling in straight sets, but with so many years ahead of him, Ferguson is set to remain a staple of the program’s future.

Ferguson was a spectacle to those behind the chain-link fence, most notably during the 2nd set. The match saw Ferguson utilize his agility during the brief moments of close defense while relying on his forehand serve and the ability to chase while being accurate with his swing.

Even though he took the first set 6-2, all signs pointed to the pressure being lit, but the middle schooler never faltered in the face of pressure. Instead, he shined when the spotlight found its way to him.

“He’s a sixth grader,” Locher said. “For a kid like that, to be able to compete against a senior in high school is pretty phenomenal, and not just compete, but witnessed that and pushed the guy, it was an impressive sight to witness, and he’s only going to get better as time progresses.”

Ferguson fought to the end but came up short in the third set as the road team walked away with the tiebreaker.

Other notable contributions came from the dynamic duos of Teddy and James Scott and Derek and Devan, who both went undefeated until their respective matches.

The Hornets got off to a quick start, capturing the momentum by taking the third singles matchup within two sets by scoring (6-0, 6-0).

Senior Clayton English left everything on the court and his performance highlighted his school spirit. English kept it close with an impressive arsenal of center court control and a strong firearm serve.

The Dragons tried to keep up, but once the Hornets swept on the doubles, all signs pointed to the end.

The first doubles matchup was a primetime matchup featuring Teddy and James, twin brothers who serve and offer leadership among the roster. The duo confessed that Tuesday was a test and the toughest matchup they had ever experienced.

“We knew it was going to be a tough match,” James Scott said. “We weren’t going to be able to have the solution that we sometimes do have. So, unfortunately, we fell into that same trap that we often do, playing a little soft and sloppy. Where we weren’t hitting the shots, we should be hitting so after the first set was gone. Props to them (Manchester Essex) finished their all their routine shots. So they played very well.”

Teddy reacted similarly to his partner’s comments, noting that being on the court with his brother is a moment he will never forget.

“You can take a more honest tone with them; you know how to get them going,” he said. “It’s a great kind of Doubles tradition that many of the best doubles teams in history have been brothers. I don’t know if that translated well today, but it’s been nice throughout the season because they can talk to you. One of the perks is they know how to get you to go and how to calm you down.”

The twin magic was a premiere highlight for the Scott brothers, but today, the chemistry wasn’t in place as they dropped their first loss all season by the margin of a two-set sweep (6-2, 6-2).

In addition, the other Twin Dragons’ duo, Derek and Devan Ye, also dropped their second Doubles matchup by two sets 6-1 but found a second wind and battled during the 2nd set only to come up short 6-4.

James Scott touched upon the value of having one more season set to kick off while offering comments of unwavering support to his band of brothers and the role of leadership set to be bestowed to him and his brother, Teddy, as the pursuit of senior year is now set on their minds.

“It’s a privilege to be a captain, especially with this young team,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to harness them a little bit, but it’s a testament to our guys; they work hard and practice, which boils down to our identity. We show it daily when we play on the court; we had three undefeated teams all season. Today just wasn’t in the stars.”

Teddy once again yielded a much shorter and simpler comment when asked about the possibilities of senior year.

“We’re gonna be just as threatening next year,” he said. “And we feel like we have all the tools to be even better, to make a real push for the finals.”

“Our eyes are on the title next season.”