Washington, PA - North Catholic battled to the very end but came up just short Tuesday evening, falling 3-2 to Quaker Valley in the WPIAL Class 2A boys team tennis championship at Washington & Jefferson's Janet L. Swanson Tennis Center.
The Trojans pushed to the brink in a championship rematch that once again proved how slim the margins are at the top of WPIAL tennis. With every match contested and momentum swinging throughout the afternoon, the title ultimately came down to doubles play.
North Catholic evened the team score early behind a strong showing at No. 2 singles, where Alex Weber delivered a confident straight-set victory over Quaker Valley's Tanner Schultz. Weber's performance steadied the Trojans after the opening doubles point and kept the championship within reach.
At the top of the ladder, Justin Garvey engaged in a hard-fought three-set battle at No. 1 singles. After dropping the first set, Garvey rebounded to take the second and keep North Catholic alive deep into the match before ultimately falling in decisive fashion.
The championship pivoted during the No. 2 doubles match. North Catholic's Paddy McCabe and Lenny Splane pushed the Quaker Valley pairing to the limit, rallying from a deficit in the first-set tiebreaker and applying constant pressure throughout the contest. Despite the effort, Quaker Valley secured the straight-set win to clinch the team title.
North Catholic closed the afternoon on a high note at No. 3 singles, where Jake Sinclair earned a victory over Charlie Pyle to cap the match.
North Catholic now turns its focus to the PIAA state playoffs starting next week in hopes of returning to Hershey.Â
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