HS TENNIS TOURNEY: HB reaches Division II finals; Sabers fall short

Sam Anthony and the rest of the Cavaliers are headed to Wednesday's Division II finals in Dover. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)
Ronan Finnegan and Eli Mazzola, take a bow.
The Hollis Brookline High School boys tennis No. 3 doubles tandem downed Greyson Beliveau and Drew Berry 9-8 (7-5 tiebreaker) in a thriller with the highest stakes – a berth in the Division II finals 4 p.m.Wednesday at Dover High School.
That’s where the No. 3, 13-3 Cavaliers will be, as that doubles win gave HB a 5-4 win over a No. 2 Winnacunnet team it had just lost 6-3 to at the end of the regular season.
It was one out of two for the area, however, as No. 5 Souhegan fell 6-3 to No. 1 Goffstown, ruining the chance for an all-local final. That means the Cavs will take on the Grizzlies, whom they’ve lost twice to, 5-4 and 6-3, for the title.
But they had lost 6-3 to the Warriors, too.
“Everyone in the lineup elevated their game since our loss to Winnacunnet,” Cavs coach Celestino Eddie Sepulveda said. “In the end, it came down to our doubles matches and the ball bounced our way today.”
The teams split singles matches. HB got wins from John Torpey at No. 3 (8-5), Sam Anthony at No. 4 (8-3) and Dylan Legrow at No. 6 (8-5).
Then it was on to doubles, and the Warriors No. 1 team of Chris Cucceu/Chris Berry downed HB’s Arjun Inakollu/Anthony, 8-6.
But that was the last match the Cavs would lose. Torpey/Greyson McSeveney won at No.2, 8-5, and then it came down to third doubles.
“(The players) entered the semifinal match with renewed confidence in themselves and their doubles partners,” Sepulveda said. “Hollis Brookline and Winnacunet put on an absolute showecase – spectacular play and sportsmanship all around.”
Now the Cavs will hope the third time vs. Goffstown is the charm.
NO. 1 GOFFSTOWN 6, NO. 5 SOUHEGAN 3
The Sabers dropped four of six singles to put themselves in a tough spot where they would have to sweep doubles for the win.
No. 1 Brian Goddard (8-0) and No. 3 Parker Shade (8-4) were singles winners, and Goddard and Balthazar Glover teamed up at No. 1 doubles for an 8-2 win. But that was it as they fell at Nos. 2 and 3.
Still, the Sabers finished a good season at 10-6.
TODAY’S GIRLS SEMIS
There’s only one area high school girls team left and that’s No.1, 15-0 Souhegan, which will host No. 4 Winnacunnet (11-4).
The Warriors have won eight straight, but they did lose 9-0 to the Sabers back on April 10. Match time at Camp Young Judea in Amherst is 4 p.m.