Wallenpaupack Area boys tennis team honors senior players

HAWLEY — It was a challenging spring for the Buckhorns on the courts.

A shallow bench and a younger squad made for some rough times for the Wallenpaupack Area boys tennis team.

Still, the local lads persevered en route to a respectable 5-8 regular season record and even managed to find some success in the playoffs.

Rollercoaster Ride

“I feel like we beat the teams we were supposed to beat and lost to the teams we thought we would lose to,” said Head Coach Aimee Wentzell.

“Our numbers were down this year and it was tough to make a full line-up some days if someone was hurt or out.”

Paupack posted wins early in the season against Dunmore, 4-1 and versus Montrose, 4-1.

The Bucks squeezed past West Scranton, 3-2, and Holy Cross, 3-2 as well but managed a 5-0 shutout over Western Wayne closer to the end of the schedule.

Overall, the Purple & White were ninth in Lackawanna League standings but secured a sixth seed for the District 2 Class AAA playoffs.

In the team tournament, Paupack fell 5-0 to Delaware Valley in the opening round.

Junior Sam Filip and senior Anthony Marie represented the Buckhorns in the singles playoffs. Filip won during the first round in three sets that went to tiebreakers but then fell in the second round.

Marie had a bye for the opening round, won his second-round match in two sets, but then eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Sophomore Gabe Pesce teamed up with senior Lucas MacDonough for district doubles but unfortunately did not make it past the opening round.

Marie and Filip joined forces and had first round bye. They won their second round contest in two sets but then fell in the quarterfinals.

Senior Swan Song

Just two players and two managers represented the Class of 2022 on this year’s team. All provided leadership both on and off the court, helping the team along through the tough season.

Anthony Marie has played tennis and golf for four years and was on the swimming team for three seasons. For tennis, he was named to the Lackawanna League All-Stars this season.

He is a member of the National Honor Society and is the FBLA President. He has been an FBLA finalist for two years, a Student ambassador, and is the senior class Vice President.

Anthony plans to attend Boston College where he will major in Finance.

Lucas MacDonough has been with the tennis team for four seasons and plays recreationally at The Hideout.

He is a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers with the Lake Ariel United Methodist Church.

Lucas will be attending Penn State Scranton in the fall with the hope to move to the main campus where he will major in Material Science Engineering.

Sara Katz served as a manager for the boys team and was played for four years with the Lady Bucks, most recently serving as a captain. Additionally, she has been a manager for the girls basketball team as well.

She is a National Honor society member and has earned both Gold and Silver Torch Awards. She was a member of the Homecoming Court, Yearbook Club, and Prom Committee.

Sara is undecided upon a major field of study but plans to continue her education at Bloomsburg and play club tennis.

Rebecca Husson has managed the boys team and played tennis for four seasons with the girls squad. Additionally, she played softball and was on the track team for one year each.

She is a National Honor Society member and volunteers with Hawley United Methodist Church.

Rebecca plans to major in Pre-Veterinary Studies at the University of Delaware and one day hopes to open her own practice.

Over & Out

“The fact that we were short and still competed well both in the season and in the playoffs says a lot about the team,” Coach Wentzell stated.

“Boys tennis numbers are low throughout the league, so it’s not just us.”

Coach Wentzell anticipates that a new influx of players will help keep the team moving ahead next season and beyond.

“I’m hopeful Gabe will return and Sam, while not your traditional tennis player, is a fighter, and maybe he can recruit some of his other seniors out next year.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Lackawanna League Boys Tennis Wallenpaupack Area Senior Day