South boys tennis remains unbeaten in ECIC III

The Williamsville South boys tennis team continued its winning ways last week, chalking up three victories in three days to improve to 5-0 in ECIC Division III.

The Billies swept Cheektowaga, 5-0, on Monday, April 21, at South; edged Starpoint, 3-2, on Tuesday, April 22, at South; and defeated Pioneer, 4-1, last Wednesday at Pioneer.

Against Cheektowaga, R.J. Grampp, Greg Potter and Brian Zaprowski won at first, second and third singles, respectively. Joe Paul and Doug Bounds and Joe Putrelo and Trevor Lawler picked up wins at first and second doubles, respectively.

Starpoint's Josh Doores proved too tough for Grampp at first singles, but Potter evened the Starpoint-South match at 1-1 by winning at second singles. Zaprowski won at third singles, 6-4, 7-6, to give South its second point.

With Paul out of the lineup at first doubles, Lawler moved up from second doubles and along with Doug Bounds, the team stretched Starpoint's Steve Predergast and Greg Maholick to three sets but couldn't claim victory, tying the match at 2-2.

Due to construction at the courts, only four courts were in play, putting the deciding second doubles match on last. Under pressure, Putrelo and Brendan Lawler played a solid match, winning 6-2, 6-3, to clinch the victory for South.

Second doubles players Putrelo and Trevor Lawler and Zaprowski at third singles staked South to a 2-0 lead, but the other points came late.

After winning the first set, 6-4, Grampp, at first singles, dropped the second set, 2-6. Potter did the same, winning the first set, 6-4, but losing the second set, 4-6.

The first doubles team of Bounds and Paul lost the first set, 1-6, but turned it around, winning the second set, 6-4.

All three matches went into a third set about the same time. Pioneer proved too tough at first doubles, handing South a 3-6 loss in the third set, giving Pioneer its first point.

South had to win one of the remaining singles points. Grampp kept the pressure on the net, rushing Troy Wilder from Pioneer to win, 6-2, and clinch the South victory. A few minutes later, Greg Potter won a tiebreaker to make the score 4-1.

South plays at Maryvale and at Depew at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, respectively.