St. Charles North, East in sectional dogfight

After graduating eight seniors from last year's boys tennis team, St. Charles North wasn't expected to equal its success as the 2014 St. Charles East sectional champion at this weekend's East sectional.

But this year's North Stars had other ideas. And, after reeling off a 17-1 dual-meet record, four tournament titles and the Upstate Eight River Division championship, the North Stars might just surpass last year's sectional accomplishments.

St. Charles North already has exceeded its 2014 sectional performance in one area. At Friday's opening day of the St. Charles East sectional, the North Stars advanced four players to the state meet with Aaron Amburgey and Matt Kramer reaching the semifinals in singles and Luke Dunteman and Matt Ernst getting to the semifinals in doubles.

Amburgey, who made the state meet in doubles in 2014, lost only two games in two matches in knocking off Paolo Valenzuela of South Elgin 6-0, 6-0 and Charlie Downing of St. Charles East 6-1, 6-1.

Kramer swept Nathan Powers of Glenbard North 6-0, 6-0 before overcoming a 5-1 first set deficit to defeat Lake Park's Josh Solarz 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.

Ernst and Dunteman were 6-0, 6-0 winners over West Chicago's Kyle Gravit and Daniel Lamperis before beating Glenbard North's Mahmood Khan and Ohm Skukla 6-2, 6-1.

North's three qualifiers are its most since 2011.

The North Stars also have a shot at defending their sectional team crown, though it will be a challenge. North is tied for first place with St. Charles East with 18 points apiece heading into Saturday's semifinals, finals and third-place matches at East, which begin at 9 a.m. Lake Park is lurking two points behind in third place with 16 points.

"I'm real proud of the guys," North coach Sean Masoncup said. "They all worked so hard in the off-season to put themselves in the position to get to this point. They've earned everything they've gotten out of the season. It's especially gratifying to know that a lot of them will be back next year. (North returns seven of its 11 starters.) It's been a very satisfying season for the program."

The North Stars have a fight on their hands to win their second straight sectional title. The host Saints are tied atop the sectional team standings after qualifying two doubles teams to state.

Senior Connor Anderson and junior Alex Winters advanced to the semifinals, earning them a ticket to the state tournament that begins May 28 in and around Arlington Heights, by beating North's Trevor Kurtzhals and Tom Ninan 6-3, 6-0 in the round of 16 and Wheaton North's Keaton Bass and Jack Woods 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

They will be joined at state by senior Nick Hauptmann and freshman Kevin Schreiner, who rallied for a 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 quarterfinal victory over Wheaton North seniors Jacob Brink and Clay Corso.

Anderson, Hauptmann and Schreiner are first-time state qualifiers, making the Saints' achievement that much more impressive and enjoyable to coach Rob Livermore.

"Connor slept on the floor in a hotel room when we went to the last two state meets. He's wanted to get to state so badly," Livermore said. "To get the two seniors through was incredible. This was Nick's first sectional. He and Kevin were singles players for us this season, but they also played eight matches together at doubles in dual meets and tournaments and had a 6-2 record. Their singles experience helped against Wheaton North's two lefties."

Anderson and Winters have clicked all season as a first-time doubles duo, racking up a 16-4 record and claiming the first doubles title at the Upstate Eight Conference River tournament last weekend. One secret to their success has been playing with courage and confidence in tight matches.

"We have won every third set we've been in all season," Anderson said. "We get pumped up and excited and really want it and feed off each other. Our experience in third sets really helped us in the third set (of the quarterfinals) today."

The team sectional title could hinge on an East-North semifinal doubles duel between Hauptmann-Schreiner and Dunteman-Ernst.

"That's going to be a huge match," Livermore said. "I think that's what it's going to come down to."

Ernst and Dunteman enter that match brimming with confidence. Ernst played first singles last season while Dunteman was at fourth doubles, but the first-time doubles duo overcame various odds to reach state.

"I had never played a doubles match before," Ernst said. "Thanks to Coach, he transformed me into a doubles player. I owe it all to him."

"Adjusting to a much higher level of competition took some time after playing fourth doubles last year," Dunteman said. "But we knew we had to play a lot of tennis in the off-season to get ready for this. It's been a great season for the whole team, and it's exciting for us to make state."

Lake Park is also in the sectional championship hunt thanks to the doubles team of Frankie Fanella and Keanu Reyes, which earned its first appearance at state, and singles player Piotr Lada, who qualified for state for the second consecutive year.

Fanella and Reyes defeated West Chicago's Josh Babor and Manuel Esquivel 6-0, 6-1 and Wheaton Academy's brother duo of Jonah and Chris Jones 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semifinals. Lada, who finished second at last year's sectional, dispatched Bartlett's Jordan Li 6-0, 6-1 and Wheaton North's Bunchanpireon Ros 6-1, 6-4.

"Last year we qualified three players to state, but to do it two years in a row is great," Lancers coach Tim Martin said. "I think (Fanella and Reyes) played their best match of the year today to qualify. They played second doubles last year and had a goal to qualify for state all season and they did it. They worked their butts off to get to this point. Piotr was down 4-1 in the second set before he won 6-4. He'll play Aaron Amburgey in the semifinals, which should be a great match."

Wheaton Academy standout Ty Krill earned the final singles ticket to state. The freshman beat Allen Johanson of Bartlett 6-1, 6-0 in the round of 16 and Wheaton North's Grant O'Connell 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals, improving his season record to 21-1, and setting up a semifinal matchup with Kramer on Saturday.

"It was a very comfortable day for him," Warriors coach Chris Jones said. "He has a huge serve, an absolute cannon, with unbelievably good control. His serve is incredibly powerful, over 120 mph. He's won all his matches this season in straight sets. He has the potential to do really well at state. He knows many of the top players in the state because he works out with a lot of them in the off-season."