Barrington takes tourney, ties Fremd for MSL title
Barrington and Fremd - Fremd and Barrington.
When the talk is about Mid-Suburban League boys tennis, it always seems to include these two programs.
For the second time in less than two weeks, the difference between winning and losing came down to the final match Saturday at Conant.
Barrington freshman Varun Parekh had dropped a heartbreaking three-set match to Fremd's Ryo Miyawaki in their last meeting that enabled the Vikings to capture the MSL West Division regular-season championship.
On Saturday, Parekh answered the call in sensational style to defeat Miyawaki in another marathon three-set match - and his victory helped give the Broncos enough points to win the MSL tournament and a share of the team title wit the Vikings.
"You cannot really ask for much more than what the guys gave today," said Roncone. "Ken (Fremd coach Goettsche) has such a terrific team, and he does a great job with them. So to be able to stay in the hunt and compete for a title and then come out ahead at the end says a lot about our guys, and especially our doubles teams from 2 through 4, George Coll and finally Varun, who did it for us in the end."
"It was great to have a second chance, and to be able to be the player who would help decide the championship feels pretty good right now," said Parekh, who opened with a 6-2 first-set victory before dropping the second 4-6.
"I felt really strong all throughout, and by the third set, still felt really go, and with (Ryo) having already gone three sets in his semifinal match (against Conant's Peter Itskovich), I knew if I pushed the pace and stayed ahead of him that I could win the match."
Hersey senior Eric Klawitter (20-3) and the Fremd duo of Kenta Shimizu-Ryan Kreis ran over and through the field at the glamour positions of first singles and No. l doubles to claim their trophies - and serious consideration for elite seeds this week at the loaded Palatine sectional which also features North Suburban champion Stevenson.
The Broncos trailed most of the tournament, but finally went ahead when Connor Brownell and Ben Nuckles outlasted the Vikings' Matt Burkhardt-James Lee by scores of 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to capture the crown at No. 2 doubles.
Their 9 team points gave the Broncos a 56-54 lead before Parekh and Miyawaki took the courts for their third and final set.
"It was nice to be in a position to help our team, but when we got down (3-0) in that third set, we looked to be in a lot of trouble, until Connor got that (ace) to get us going and eventually get even at 3," Nuckles said.
"As the set got going, our confidence would grow, and we just built off it," Brownell said.
The Broncos' No. 3 doubles team of Nikhil Holay-Zach Kasiurak and their fourth tandem of Steven Farag-Brett Furmanski won MSL titles.
Coll upset No. 2 seed Izzi Balase of Schaumburg in the semifinals en route to second place at first singles.
The Broncos' first doubles team of Joe Gasior-Jim Deroche dropped a tough three-set match to Prospect's Jon Kiefer and Sam Pope, who later fell to Shimizu-Kreis for the title.
Shimizu-Kreis lost just a combined five games in beating Hersey's Kevin Amarantos-Yuki Chiba 6-3, 6-2 and the Prospect pair 6-1, 6-3.
"We just played carefree and easy in that final, after opening a little tight in our semifinal with Hersey to begin the day," said Kreis, who was the MSL champion at No. 2 singles last season.
His partner Shimizu won it all at No. 1 to help the Vikings earn the big trophy last May.
"I just wish we could have played better in that final, because we just didn't show well against Fremd," said Kiefer, who with Pope outlasted Barrington's No. 1 doubles to reach the final by coming from behind in the second set to force a third set.
The Knights edged MSL East champion Rolling Meadows 32-30 for third place.
Klawitter defeated Coll 6-1, 6-3 to earn his first MSL title and helped solidify what appears to be the No. 2 seed behind defending state singles champion Blake Bazarnik of Stevenson at the Palatine sectional.
"It's hard to believe this is my senior year and that I have reached a dream of mine to win conference," Klawitter said.
"Klaw is just Klaw," said Hersey coach Brenna Ohlson. "He is just so consistent, and sometimes makes it look so easy, but he never lets up until the match is over."
In the Coll-Balase semifinal, the Broncos' sophomore prevailed over the 2009 MSL runner-up from Schaumburg 7-5, hitting one brilliant passing shot after another to stymie Balase's attempts to come to the net.
"George hit the shots he was supposed to, and you have to give him credit for doing so," Balase said.
"I was up (4-3) in that second set and I hit 5-6 passing shots when he came to the net, and I really think that became the turning point in our match," Coll said.
The No. 3 singles title went to Fremd's Arjun Puranik.
"What can you say about today," said Vikings coach Ken Goettsche. "Kenta and Ryan were just amazing all through the tournament, but in the end, the overall title was ours to lose - and we did just that."