Tennis
Sturgis boys tennis lost in the Sweet 16 for 3rd straight season, but the future is bright
YARMOUTH – The Sturgis West boys tennis team will have to wait another season for a chance at the Elite Eight.
The Navigators fell in the Round of 16 for a third consecutive season as they were swept 5-0 by last year’s semifinalists No. 9 Cohasset on Monday in the MIAA Division 4 state tournament.
Cohasset jumped out to strong starts across all five matches, and dropped six games combined through the first sets. Sturgis doubles pair of senior Colby Hall and junior Robert Muhov fought hard but Cohasset’s Max Crews won the first set 6-4.
The pair played out the closest match by score, as Cohasset won 6-4, 6-7 (5-7) and then 10-8 in an abbreviated third set tiebreaker that was decided with a competitive ferocity long after Sturgis’ fate had been sealed. This match outlasted every other match by more than half an hour.
“Even with a loss that was the best way to go out,” Hall said, who suffered his first defeat of the season. “I’ll definitely miss it, but we played great, and we had a lot of fun out there. We’ve had a great season, and I can’t really complain.”
Sturgis sophomore Ray Zhang, meanwhile, drew one of the toughest assignments in senior Charlie Lankow, considered one of the top players in the state. Lankow defeated Zhang 6-1, 6-0, but hung in each point with the two opponents putting on a high-level display of tennis.
“Playing against really good opponents is obviously going to make me raise my level and it’s going to force me to play better,” Zhang said.
Senior Ben Bass and freshman George Foster both lost their singles matches to senior Will Wildfire and junior Eamon Maxwell respectively, as Bass’ defeat in the No. 2 singles match secured Cohasset’s passage into the next round. The three games won by Bass was two more than Wildfire’s first-round opponent.
“Cohasset has a good team, they’re a solid team all the way through,” Sturgis head coach Ken Huckins said. “It’s never nice losing, but they earned it.”
Sturgis ended their season with a 10-2 overall record.
Bright Future
The bright skies and sunshine that hung over the defeat, however, served as a sign of the team’s future. Sturgis will lose just two seniors from their 2024 roster.
Sturgis had four underclassmen in their seven-man starting line-up, which included Zhang as the team’s No. 1 singles player and freshmen Foster and Kieran Murphy.
“I hope it means that we’re going to be pretty good going forward,” Zhang said with a smile.
Foster, who was the No. 3 singles player, was pitted against the hard-hitting Maxwell and left the court with postseason experience and the desire to get better in the offseason.
“I’m happy with the experience I’ve gotten this season – you win some and you lose some and that just how it works,” Foster began. “I’m going to practice and hopefully come back a stronger player.”
Murphy, who was a late addition to the line-up, received a text the morning of the match saying he would be playing after Hall’s regular doubles partner Francisco Garcia Raya came down with an illness.
Murphy partnered with sophomore Thomas Nutbrown in second doubles and, despite being blanked in a quick first set, the two responded with resolve before Cohasset ultimately prevailed 6-0, 6-3 in a tighter second set to senior Tyler Henry and Blaine Basile.
“We have the mentality, we just need to put in the work, and we’ll be back,” Murphy said, echoing his fellow classmate.
Sturgis is coming off two-straight seasons ranked inside the top 10 of the state tournament, alongside another 10-plus win year.
“These guys have experienced winning, and I hope they bring that attitude next year,” Huckins said.
For the guys returning, it’s time to wash the shirt they wore and be ready to go again when spring rolls around next year.
Allen Gunn is a high school sports reporter for the Cape Cod Times. You can contact him at allen.t.gunn@gmail.com and follow him on X at @allentgunn.
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