By John D’Ambrosio ’21

The Chaminade Varsity A Tennis Team’s regular season wrapped up on Thursday, May 2nd with matches against St. Anthony’s. The season was full of exciting and intense matches, all of which bettered the team’s bond and character. The team finished with an overall record of 11-4 and an in-league record of 9-2.  Consequently, they entered the playoffs as the number-two seed.

During the first week of matches, the Flyers soared to a 5-0 record, characterized by dominating play. April began with a challenging battle against their biggest rival, St. Anthony’s. That match was a complete dogfight. After winning 1st singles, 1st doubles, and 4th doubles, the Flyers lost 2nd singles, 3rd singles, and 2nd doubles. The match came down to a final set tiebreaker in the 3rd doubles match. Ultimately, the Friars won that tiebreaker, winning the overall matchup 4-3. This loss would not be forgotten, inspiring the Flyers to avenge their loss the next time they met their rivals.

The Flyers continued their winning ways, achieving a 10-3 record before their penultimate match against St. Anthony’s. Fueled by the early-season loss, the team was determined to beat the Friars on Wednesday, May 1st. It was a long and hard-fought duel, but Chaminade ended up victorious, achieved through two singles and two doubles wins. Evan Brady ’19 played the 1st singles match and Alexander Davis ’21, who was on 3rd singles, quickly dismantled their opponents in less than an hour. James and Luke Salerno ’22, stationed on the 4th doubles match, defeated their opponents in a similar fashion. The overall match came down to a third-set tiebreaker between the 1st doubles teams. John D’Ambrosio ’21 and Vincent Fermo ’20 prevailed, which sealed the win.

The Flyers sought to repeat their results as they faced St. Anthony’s for yet another rematch on Thursday, May 2nd. The victor would be the regular-season champion and the number-one seed in the playoffs. Due to the grueling nature of the previous match and the absence of the team’s seniors, the Flyers were not at full strength for this outing. They ended up suffering a defeat of 5-2, winning only 3rd singles and 3rd doubles.  Not how the team wanted to end their regular season, they are staying steadfast in their efforts to bring the NSCHSAA Tennis Championship back to Chaminade. John Adamo ‘21 spoke on this matter, saying, “It’s been a long season, and it’s all coming down to this. As a team, we’re at our best. All we can do is play our hardest and lay it all out for the finals.”

As the great Rafael Nadal said, “If you don’t lose, you cannot enjoy the victories. So I have to accept both things.” The Flyers Varsity A Team has experienced both glorious victories and painful defeats against their rivals, accepting both outcomes while focusing on the future. However, the Flyers have set their sights on winning the championship and defeating the Friars in the final match at Hofstra University on Thursday, May 9th.