Facebook
Google
See video highlights & interviews below
It came down to the last match of the day, Gilman's #2 doubles team of Tommy Mathews and Jay Barrett against McDonogh's Jake Lazer and Tommy Sinnott. With the overall team match tied at 2-2, the final battle of the day would last close to two and a half hours, and would go into a tie-breaker, before the Eagles would win, 3-2, to remain undefeated in the MIAA A Conference. Lazer and Sinnott won 2-1, with the 8-6 tie-breaker deciding the set and the match.
"It was typical Gilman-McDonogh tennis," said Eagles Coach Laddie Levy, now in his 18th year as the McDonogh leader. "I don't think anyone would have been happy if we hadn't gone to a third set tie-breaker."
Gilman and McDonogh have reached the championship finals in 20 of the last 21 seasons and Levy has amassed 258 wins at the helm for the Eagles. His counterpart, Jim Busick at Gilman, has an incredible 289 wins during his tenure at the school on Northern Parkway. Those are the kind of numbers that North Carolina's Dean Smith and Duke's Coach K put up in college basketball.
Gilman freshman Alec Hoblitzell would be the first to complete his match, when he defeated McDonogh's Greg Miller 2-0 to give the Greyhounds a 1-0 lead. Shortly after that, Gilman would jump out to a 2-0 lead when their #1 doubles team of Tyler Hoblitzell and Brad Millison would beat Seth Cassel and freshman Chris Bell.
The Greyhounds seemed to be in control, needing only one more point to leave McDonogh with a victory, but it was not to be, as
the Eagles Alex Sdney, another freshman, would defeat Gilman's James Wieler, and McDonogh's Alexander Centenari would win the #1
singles match over freshman Michael Katz, to make it 2-2.
With four matches concluded, all eyes turned to center court, where the #2 doubles battle would decide the match.
"We knew it would come down to that last doubles match," said Gilman's Millison, a four year varsity player. "This was by far, our toughest match of the season."
It was a tough pill for Millison and his mates to swallow. After all, Milison has enjoyed riding the crest of a 52-4 record since becoming a member of Busick's team as a freshman.
The win vaulted the Eagles into first place in the conference at 6-0. Gilman, losing for the first time since 2006, fell to 6-1. Chances are good that these two will meet again in the chamionship finals..
