Heralds edge Eagles, Warriors to win county tennis tournament
Apr. 22—SAYBROOK — All the pieces fell into place for the Saint John Heralds during the Ashtabula County Boys Tennis tournament on Saturday at Saint John School.
The Heralds needed three victories in the finals, and got them all, to edge out Geneva and Edgewood for the team title.
Saint John finished with 21 points, followed by the Eagles with 20 and Warriors at 19.
Saint John's Grayson Petros won a 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 decision over Edgewood's Robbie DiGiacomo and both the Heralds' doubles teams captured victories to clinch the title.
The doubles matches were especially animated as both first-doubles teams excitedly celebrating points.
In the end, Saint John's Carter Blenman and Danny Hutchins defeated Geneva's Myles Colgan and LJ Stark 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in the first-doubles championship match.
The Heralds' second-doubles team of Jaylin Streit and Christian Barbian downed Edgewood's Evan Rantanen and Nick DeFazio 7-5, 6-4 for a championship.
"Carter and Danny are a little bit the heart and soul of the team," Heralds coach Todd Nassief said.
Nassief said his team was fortunate to have many of the matches break their way at an opportune time.
He credited all five of his competitive groups with capitalizing on their opportunity by winning their last match.
Nassief said Petros' year-long effort and competitive nature was instrumental in securing the second-singles win.
"He is the first one to practice and the last one to leave," Nassief said.
Nassief also credited Lakeside tennis coach Spencer Selman for helping Varckette and Petros grow their tennis skills before they transferred to Saint John.
Jack Varckette and Connor Glasier each secured third at first and third singles, respectively. Both were critical to the team championship, according to Nassief.
Nassief said assistant coach Kayla Johnston's work with the doubles teams also impacted the team win.
"We had to win all our last matches and all five did," he said.
After the overall championship was decided, second place in the team competition was still up for grabs as Edgewood's Vinnie DeGeorge battled Geneva's Logan Willsey.
Willsey won in a third set tie-breaker 3-6, 7-5, 10-7 to clinch second place for the Eagles.
Geneva's Isaac Riddell topped Edgewood's Noah Vencill 6-3, 6-1 for the first-singles title.
Eagles coach Scott Torok said the competition was one of the most competitive in years with three teams battling for the victory.
"They gutted it out," he said of the players that battled significant winds and chilly temperatures for much of the day. "It shows the quality of the tennis has gone up. It used to be Geneva and everybody else. It's not anymore. They raised their game and now we have to as well."
Edgewood coach Renee Mattson said she was proud of her seniors, who didn't win a match as freshmen and were on the verge of a county championship four years later.
Mattson said her team got a little fatigued at the end of the match.
"They played really well and we'll get them at CVC [Chagrin Valley Conference]," she said of the battle with Geneva.
Jefferson had four fourth-place finishes to score nine points and take fourth in the team standings.
Lakeside's first-doubles team of Taylor Williams and Angel Villa Murillo placed fourth.
The Dragons tallied six points.
