The MIAA Division 3 South Sectional final in boys tennis came down to a marquee matchup between No. 1 Martha’s Vineyard (13-0) and No. 2 Dover-Sherborn (17-0), two unbeaten heavyweights meeting on the Ned Fennessy Courts in Oak Bluffs on Friday afternoon.
A coin flip gave the Vineyarders the top seed and the precious home court advantage throughout the South bracket, and the hosts gave maximum effort on every point, trying to make it count. It just wasn’t enough, as the Raiders rolled to a 5-0 win and a trip to the state semifinals to take on undefeated North champion Weston on Monday.
The Vineyarders had first singles regular Max Potter back in the lineup and playing in the top spot against Dover-Sherborn’s Dan Pomahac. Potter came out firing and stormed through the first set to win, 6-3, but Pomahac pulled himself up and gutted out a 7-6 win in set two before taking the third set tiebreaker, 10-3.
At second singles, Eric Reubens suffered his first loss of the season in the No. 2 spot as Robert Ozerdem posted a 6-1, 6-2 win.
Vineyard sophomore Jacob Riis and Dover-Sherborn’s Cameron Moghaddam played out an epic match at third singles, filled with long, intense rallies. The seesaw first set went to the Raider tri-captain, 7-6, and Moghaddam closed out the match by a 6-4 count in the second.
The Raiders took both doubles matches in straight sets, but the scores do little to convey the passion and intensity played out on each point by both sets of players. Dover-Sherborn’s Ben Churney and Cole Hadar topped Clyde Smith and Teagan Myers 6-2, 6-2, at first doubles, and Raiders Jagger Grace and Josh Martinovich defeated Jack Marshard and Ben Belisle 6-3, 6-2, in the second doubles match.
With Max Potter and Eric Reubens the only seniors on a young, talented Vineyarder squad, Coach Kev Lewis should like his team’s chances for continued success in 2022.