Wyoming Seminary boys dethrone Scranton Prep for D2-2A team tennis title

May 8—CLARKS SUMMIT — Heading into a third set, the Wyoming Seminary No. 1 doubles team of Yicheng Li and Andrew Tsui knew the stakes were high.

With two team points already in hand, the Blue Knights’ tandem could officially lock up a district title with a win over Scranton Prep’s Jackson Keating and Kyle O’Malley.

In a match tied one set apiece, it was easier said than done — but Tsui and Li put together a nearly perfect final set to win their match and bring a championship home to Wyoming Seminary.

A 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 win in that match was the deciding point in Wednesday’s District 2 Class 2A Boys Team Tennis championship, as Wyoming Seminary knocked off defending champ Scranton Prep 3-2 to win the district title.

In the first final of the day in Class 3A, Abington Heights continued its run of dominance on the courts with a 12th straight district title, sweeping Crestwood 3-0 to retain the crown.

Across all of Wednesday’s semifinals and finals, only one individual match went to a third set — and it turned out to be a crucial one.

Tsui and Li roared through the first set, only for their Scranton Prep opponents to find their form to win the second, forcing the match to go the distance.

“We decided to change our strategy, to go with a little more topspin and go down the line. … It made our job easier,” Tsui said after his and Li’s win. “We talked with our teammates and tried not to feel too much pressure and get frustrated.”

Safe to say the pressure didn’t seem to get to the Sem team. The duo won all six games of the third set to seal the deal for the Blue Knights.

“Yicheng (Li) has played for us for four years, and this year he had to win a big one, because sometimes we came up short,” Sem coach Raphael Cooper said. “And he really found a way to do it.”

Sem’s No. 2 doubles team of Aarev Gupta and Max Kramme was the first to score for the Blue Knights with a breezy straight-sets win. After Scranton Prep’s Matthew Cohen won the No. 3 singles match, Stefan Zecar scored a massive second point with a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles.

Those three matches were over quickly, and the No. 1 singles match between Sem’s Billy Hall and Prep’s Akhilesh Velaga was on the other side of the Birchwood Racquet Club, leaving Tsui and Li on an island as they went to work.

“After the second set made it a tie, coach came down and told us that our match was the most important one,” Tsui said. “That’s why we just needed to convert … every point mattered for us.”

In the semifinals held earlier Wednesday morning, Scranton Prep beat MMI Prep and Wyoming Seminary defeated Holy Cross to set up a rematch of last year’s district final.

The Blue Knights were able to flip the script this year, gaining a measure of revenge on the Cavaliers and punching their ticket to the state tournament, which starts next Tuesday.

“I don’t have too many words, I’m just so happy for these guys,” Cooper said.

Wyoming Seminary will travel to take on the District 3 champion, yet to be determined, on Tuesday.

Abington Heights wins again

Like the Class 2A final that would follow, the Class 3A district final featured a rematch from 2024.

There would be no reversal of fortune for Crestwood, however, as Abington Heights continued its remarkable run atop the district with a 3-0 win to capture a 12th straight District 2 Class 3A championship in boys team tennis.

“Every one is special, it’s different kids every year,” Abington Heights coach Art Comstock said. “But the underlying theme is the program, what we all believe in and stand for. … We play for each other.”

A quick sweep of the doubles points by the teams of Brady Comstock/Liam Farrell and Mike Klamp/Robby Lucas earned Abington Heights a quick two points right off the bat.

It was Domenic Peters that would slam the door shut for Abington Heights, picking up a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles to bring the match to a halt.

In the two matches halted before they could finish, Abington Heights singles stars Praneel Mallaiah (the defending district singles champ in Class 3A) and William Arp were both up a set and holding significant edges in the second set.

Abington Heights’ semifinal match would be a good preview of what was to come, taking down Wyoming Valley West 3-0 with just one total game dropped in the three wins.

Crestwood drew Delaware Valley in the semifinals and took down the Warriors 3-1.

Sean Rossi won in singles for Crestwood in the semis, as did the doubles teams of Aaron Kogoy/Will Savner and Ethan Zabroski/Mike Modrovsky.

Abington Heights will get to stay at home for the first round of the state tournament, taking on the fourth seed from District 1 on Tuesday.

District 2 Boys Team Tennis Championships

Class 2A finals

Wyoming Seminary 3, Scranton Prep 2

Singles — 1. Akhilesh Velaga (SP) def. Billy Hall 7-6 (1), 6-2; 2. Stefan Zecar (SEM) def. Tony Nguyen (SP) 6-4, 6-0; 3. Matthew Cohen (SP) def. Luca Radovanovic 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles — 1. Yicheng Li/Andrew Tsui (SEM) def. Jackson Keating/Kyle O’Malley 6-1, 5-7, 6-0; 2. Aarev Gupta/Max Kramme (SEM) def. Nathan Woelkers/Kyle Costello 6-3, 6-1.

Class 3A finals

Abington Heights 3, Crestwood 0

Singles — 1. Praneel Mallaiah (AH) def. Tommy Biscotti 6-0, 6-2; 2. William Arp (AH) led Sean Rossi 6-0, 5-1; 3. Domenic Peters (AH) led Spencer Young 6-0, 5-2.

Doubles — 1. Brady Comstock/Liam Farrell (AH) def. Aaron Kogoy/Will Savner 6-0, 6-0; 2. Mike Klamp/Robby Lucas (AH) def. Ethan Zabroski/Mike Modrovsky 6-1, 6-1.