Stevenson’s dynamic duo eyes state title

David Packowitz and Ross Putterman have won 32 consecutive doubles matches this spring — more than any other partnership now playing in the state.

But the stellar Stevenson tandem awaits their most important opponents when the IHSA state tournament moves into its third and final day today at Hersey when semifinal play begins at 8 a.m.

The Patriots’ pair (32-0) continue to mow down the competition, defeating both Marian Catholic and 5-8 seed Highland Park (David Zak-Jordan Hainsfurther) on Friday on the sun-kissed courts in Arlington Heights. They will meet 3-4 Oak Park-River Forest (Devon Jones-Luke Trinka), who defeated Belleville West in straight sets.

“Our energy level is way up this time around,” said Putterman, comparing where the duo was their first two trips here when they finished second both times.

“We’re not allowing anyone back into matches like we did when we were freshmen and sophomores, and this time around we’re finishing teams off, and playing efficient, smart tennis,” Packowitz said.

The twosome flew off to watch and support teammate Jeremy Bush and doubles mates Andrew Komarov and Ryan Buxbaum, who are still alive the backdraw and doing their best to add precious points to the Patriots’ team total for coach Tom Stanhope.

“That was the best tennis played by those two guys so far,” Stanhope said. “Highland Park is a very good team and a team which is well coaches and knows how to play doubles. But David and Ross were terrific and never really allowed them to get into (their) game until the end when they made a little run at us.”

At Rolling Meadows, Bush defeated the talented sophomore from Niles North, David Bacalla, then beat Naperville North’s Gordon Zhang. Komarov and Buxbaum (24-7) saw their season end after a three-set loss to Alton at Palatine.

“We’ve got a real fight to get ourselves a team trophy tomorrow, but we’ll see what we can do,” said Stanhope, whose Patriots are fifth 27 points, a point behind Hinsdale Central.

Defending champion New Trier is a commanding 10 points in front of Deerfield and 11 ahead of Oak Park-River Forest.

Packowitz and Putterman opened the day with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over the 17-32 team from Marian Catholic, which won the ESCC championship over perennial power Benet.

“In both of our matches we had to get over a case of the jitters, but once we got going, we were able to get into our game, hit our shots, and control the pace and put away the points as quickly as possible,” Putterman said.

“We’re both ready for tomorrow, but won’t take anyone for granted, but this is where we want to be right now,” Packowitz said.

The Patriots needed just 46 minutes to put away Highland Park, unleashing a full arsenal of weapons to break Hainsfurther twice in the first set — which they won 6-1 and some incredible play close at the net.

“We tried to do some things, but (they) are so good a winning the big points, and time after time that’s what they did and we really didn’t have an answer for that,” said Hainsfurther, who with Tyler Manci, went 5-2 here last year.

The brilliant year for the Warren team of Nikola Trukov and his partner Eric Seiler ended late in the day at Palatine when the senior duo fell to St. Charles North (John Mittvick-Danny Oakes) in a three-set marathon by scores of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

The Blue Devils’ duo finished the season with a sectional title and a 40-7 record.

“It was a great match to watch between two excellent teams who played hard, fair and with dignity all throughout, and I can tell you they leave our program with a lot of memories for all of us because they’re two great young gentlemen,” said Warren coach Greg Cohen.

Warren sophomore Kristyan Trukov (23-9) went 3-2 in his second trip to the tournament, while fellow second-year NSC player Ishmail Kadyrov (24-7) won three natches during his initial visit.

Greg Coll and Ben Nuckles from MSL champion Barrington were ousted in the seventh round of consolation by 5-8 seed Deerfield (Alec Siegel-Ben Shklyar) almost at the same time as Warren was defeated.

The Broncos 5-win tournament run came to a close after a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 loss.

“We really felt we could have gone further and that our match with Deerfield was one that we could have won as well,” said Nuckles, who competed here last season for the first time.

“The guys played hard and would eventually earn all-state honors for their finish, and in the end, they just didn’t have enough to get past Deerfield — but it certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort and that’s something you have to be very proud of,” said Barrrington coach John Roncone.

MSL champion Matt Burkhardt was eliminated in the backdraw at Wheeling following a three-set (6-0, 2-6, 6-2) loss to Patrick Gaffigan, a three-time state qualifier from Springfield.

“It was a little disappointing to lose in the front draw yesterday to (Justin Ancona, Rockford Christian) in three sets, but it felt good to come back today to win a couple of matches,” said Burkhardt, 30-8, who went 4-2 in his first-ever state appearance.

The Vikings’ No. 1 team of Nick Mackowiecki and Maciej Niemcyzk (18-5) fell to 17-32 St. Charles North (Parker Featherston-Pat Corrigan) in the sixth round of consolation to finish their tournament at 4-2.

“We watched (Fremd) play Naperville Central beforehand and we knew they would be a tough opponent, but I feel we were able to take them out of their game early on,” said Featherston, a state qualifier in 2010.

Conant’s Takuma Itio and Peter Itskovich grabbed 3 victories before falling in the fourth consolation round.

Grayslake Central senior Mitch Granger (35-3) was forced to retire because of leg cramps in the sixth round against Jake Wilson of Oak Park-River Forest to end a superb season for the two-time state qualifier. He will play tennis in the fall at Western Illinois University.

“Mitch was a tremendous player and leader for us this season, and was a key figure in our run to our first conference championship in program history,” said Central coach Chuck Lawson. “It was a total team effort this year for us to win our title, as witnessed by everyone of our guys earning a medal at the FVC tournament, but Mitch, no doubt, was the guy we really leaned on this season.

Lawson said his top player was recently named the schools’ athlete of the year.

Fellow FVC singles star Nate Campanile improved on his 2010 record by going 4-2, after 2-2 last season, while four-time qualifier Chris Federeghi of Cary-Grove saw his career end Friday morning at Wheeling following his 6-3, 6-1 loss to Gaffigan.

Federeghi finished his final year with a sectional title, while going 30-5.

The first trip ever for the South Elgin Storm’s doubles team of Colin Ferry and Zach Bohlin ended in the thid round after a 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4 loss to Dave Smith-Steve Hill of Lincoln-Way North.