The boys tennis team went in to the county tournament with a large order to fill. They had to go through Whitman, who beat them during the regular season, and Wootton who took the Bulldogs down to the wire earlier this year.
Senior captain Felix Sun defeated Whitman’s number one singles player in two sets to help CHS win the county championship.
“We expected everyone to win,” Sun said. “We came out with a passion.”
Sun, with the help of fellow senior captains Pavan Sethi, Eric Harris, Eddy Mosenkis and Benjamin Kessler, lead the team to a 12-1 season. Winning the championship added to an already excellent year.
“The senior captains made an example for everyone so that they were able to work together and be true to their team,” coach Benjamin Woods said.
Some underclassmen helped the cause with consistent performances throughout the year. The junior doubles team, Jason Teitelbaum and Matthew Hwang, were dominant and did not lose a game all season.
“It was great because we were the best [number] two doubles team [in the county],” Teitelbaum said.
CHS received an enormous boost going into the postseason thanks to a 4-3 win at Wootton April 23. Sun won the deciding match to seal a victory over the archrival.
“It came down to Sun, but he pulled out the win,” Sethi said. “Though [my] doubles [team] lost, the win gave us high hopes for the season.”
Following a strong campaign at counties, select members of the team moved on to the regional tournament. Sophomores Abdoulaye Camara and Kevin Chu made a large third-set comeback to win their doubles bracket. This means the pair will move on to the state championships.
“[Camara and Chu] were down 5-0 in the third set yet they came back,” Sun said. “They did not panic and did not give up.”
Accompanying Camara and Chu to states will be Sun and sophomore Lauren Pinsky, who placed second in the region during her fall season.
With six seniors graduating this year, the team has many voids to fill. The development of younger talent and incoming freshman will be essential in order to repeat as county champions.
“Everyone excelled and improved as a team,” Teitelbaum said. “We hope to stay strong and have back-to-back winning seasons.”