Pictured above: Scranton Prep freshman singles player Emma Cuck. (Tony Callaio Photo)
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
WILKES-BARRE – Scranton Prep used a victory over the 2021 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 2A team champions to stamp itself as a contender for the 2022 title.
Wyoming Seminary had two important returnees from its state championship team at the top of the lineup and had not lost in two years.
But, Scranton Prep had the greater depth, which it put to use Tuesday while winning a District 2 Class 2A Girls Tennis Team Championship battle of unbeaten conference champions, 3-1, at Kirby Park.
The Classics remained unbeaten on the season at No. 3 singles and the two doubles spots, the positions where they picked up points against the Wyoming Valley Conference champions.
“We were aggressive from the start, had very few errors and were just dying to get this district title back from a very good team,” Scranton Prep coach Kathleen McKenna said.
While Lackawanna League champion Scranton Prep had plenty of reason to be confident in gaining two doubles points, the third point was uncertain.
Freshman Emma Cuck gave Scranton Prep its only singles point with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Anastasia Martinez.
“We figured we had to win a singles point and we thought it would probably be 1 or 3,” McKenna said.
Wyoming Seminary got a team point from Victoria Martinez over Leelah Farrell, 6-2, 6-0, at No. 2 singles and was one point away at No. 1 singles where Ilana Rosenthal led Alysa Wigley, 6-3, 5-0 (40-0), in a meeting between the two players that are the top seeds for the upcoming district singles tournament.
“It’s my first experience in districts and playing the better teams, so I didn’t go into it thinking I would win,” Cuck said, “but I wasn’t going to go in not playing my hardest.”
Cuck was aware that her point could be the deciding one. She secured the second point for a 2-1 lead just before Grace Devine and Ella Cohen made it official with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jophi Li-Elisabth Moules.
“I understood that I sort of had to win,” Cuck said. “I trust my teammates a lot, but I knew there would be tougher matches, so I knew I had to get a win.”
The first point had come from an expected source, the senior doubles team of Annie Johnson and Gisele Falzone.
“Our No. 1 doubles are both seniors and obviously very strong doubles players,” McKenna said.
First, they were successful singles players earlier in their careers, including when Falzone played at Holy Cross two years ago prior to transferring.
Johnson-Falzone defeated Maya Rosenthal-Lisa Martens, 6-0, 6-2.
“They were consistently good on everything,” Wyoming Seminary coach Raphael Cooper. “We were battle-tested coming in and they were battle-tested coming in.
“We could say it wasn’t our day, or we could say that they beat us. They’re a strong team that can go very deep.”
Scranton Prep reached the final by defeating Dallas, 4-0, earlier in the day.
Wigley and Cuck posted 6-0, 6-0 wins and Farrell completed a singles sweep with a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
Johnson-Falzone also won in straight sets and Devine-Cohen were closing in on a victory when the match was halted with the team outcome decided.
Wyoming Seminary returned to the final with a 3-0 win over Wyoming Area, the team that had given it its only 3-2 test of the WVC season.
Rosenthal, Victoria Martinez and Anastasia Martinez rolled through 6-0, 6-0 singles wins. Both doubles teams had won the first set and were ahead in the second sets.
“We had a great year,” Cooper said. “We came up short.
“It definitely stings, but that’s a darn good team in Prep.”
MORE COVERAGE
Round-by-round team results: District 2 team girls tennis results – NEPA Sports Nation.
Full semifinal, final match results: District 2 girls tennis team championship results – NEPA Sports Nation.
Photo Gallery, by Tony Callaio: 2022 District 2 Girls Tennis Team Championships Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 3A championship story: 5th straight district Class 3A title for Abington Heights in girls tennis – NEPA Sports Nation.
