South boys tennis team's record stands at 8-3

Williamsville South's R.J. Grampp returns a serve against Pioneer last Friday at South. The Billies lost the ECIC III match, 3-2. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Williamsville South's boys tennis team started the week with a 3-2 victory over Maryvale on Monday, May 5 at South.

Singles winners for South were first singles R.J. Grampp and third singles Brian Zaprowski. The second doubles team of Trevor Lawler and Joe Putrelo gave South the deciding point.

On Tuesday, South finished its rain delayed match with Amherst at South.

Just two points from losing when the match was suspended, third singles Brian Zaprowski rallied to tie the third set at 6-6. He won his point in a tie break to even the match at 2-2.

The first doubles team of Doug Bounds and Joe Paul restarted their third set down 1-3. Despite a valiant effort, they lost the final set, 3-6, giving Amherst a 3-2 victory.

In the second Amherst match on Tuesday, four of the five matches went three sets, with South only managing to get one point. Zaprowski, at third singles, was South's only point.

The team traveled to Cheektowaga last Wednesday where the Billies beat an improved Warriors team 4-1 to make South 8-2 in ECIC Division III.

South knew that they had a chance to get back into first place since Amherst was playing a tough Maryvale team.

Against Pioneer at South on Friday, Zaprowski staked the Billies to a 1-0 lead.

Pioneer's Matt Kilborn proved too tough for South's Greg Potter at second singles and tied the match at 1-1. At first singles, Grampp won the first set against Pioneer's Troy Wilder, 6-4, but dropped the second set 1-6.

Both of South's doubles teams of Paul and Bounds and Harrison Sinatra and Alex Podgorsak lost their first sets but came back to win in the second sets.

Despite a valiant try, neither Grampp nor Sinatra and Podgorsak were able to win their final sets and South went down 3-2. Only the first doubles team of Bounds and Paul won their final set.

South is in second place with an 8-3 record with a match against Depew remaining to finish the season.

Grampp represented South at the ECIC singles tournament on Monday at Lancaster High School. The tournament continued on Tuesday but results were unavailable before The Bee went to press.

The doubles tournament begins on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Lancaster.