ODA boys earn 1st states trip
NAPLES -- Vaughn Garcia, was the center of attention, which is rare when you're the team's No. 5 tennis player.
But the Out-of-Door Academy senior was up to the test. He won the third-set tiebreaker and help the Thunder earn their first boys tennis regional championship with a 4-1 victory at the Community School of Naples in the Class 1A-Region 5 final Thursday.
Garcia, no stranger to tiebreakers, remained unbeaten this year in 15 matches, but this match was the sweetest in his five years with the program. He said when faced with that situation, something always clicks.
"It's a feeling I get that if I get the momentum, I can channel that and win. I'm always nervous in these situations. It's either fight or die."
Garcia looked as if he was going to roll after winning the first set 6-1, but Justin Braverman starting placing his shots well and took the second set 6-3.
"That overwhelmed me a bit," Garcia said. "I fell into a hole, but I pushed it. Around 5-2 in the second set I thought I might not win the set, but I'm coming back fierce in the tiebreaker."
Garcia led the tiebreaker throughout, winning 10-7. Garcia's victory meant doubles wasn't played.
The Thunder caught a break when No. 1 Josh Samuel won by default over Zach Schiller, who sustained an abdominal injury and withdrew. Sebastian Dounchis defeated ODA seventh-grader Jake Krug at No. 2 singles to tie the match.
But ODA was deeper. Connor Krug, Jake's twin brother, easily defeated Matt Ferrente and Matt Jones took a straight-set win from Josh Braverman.
"It's incredible. I'm so pleased with the way the boys played. They effort they put in this season, it nice to see it pay off," said ODA coach Kieran Killigrew, whose squad reached the regional final last year before losing to Saint Stephen's. "Vaughn has been our go-to guy all year. He's been a leader and it helps that he hasn't lost a match."
On the clay courts of the Vineyards Country Club, the ODA girls didn't quite have as much luck. Their lack of depth was exposed by the CSN girls in a 4-2 decision.
M'Balia Bangoura and Sydney Sforzo, ODA's top two players, won their matches, but the Seahawks still took a 3-2 lead into doubles. There, CSN's Julia and Amanda Covelli shut out Madison Reece and Paula Klar to clinch CSN's first girls tennis state berth in 13 years.
Once CSN won, the No. 1 doubles match was abandoned with Bangoura and Sforzo leading in the second set.
"It's disappointing, but we all came and fought. It was the toughest competition we had all year," ODA girls coach Laura Zink said. "Naples had depth on their side. Not to say we didn't battle, but they were tougher."
The consolation, two girls will be headed to states next week. Bangoura in singles and Bangoura and Sforzo in doubles.
This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "ODA boys earn 1st states trip ."