Warriors efficiently Blank Sharon in South Sectional Semis

By Eliot Schickler

The Brookline High boys tennis team made it look easy.

Second-seeded host Brookline needed less than an hour to defeat third-seeded Sharon High, 5-0 at Waldstein Wednesday, June 23 in the Division 1 South Sectional semifinals. With the win, the Warriors raised their record to 17-0 and won their 60th straight match. Sharon ended its season at 15-2.

Brookline advanced to the South Sectional Finals in which it will host fourth-seeded Wellesley High (16-3) Friday, June 25 at 3:30 p.m.

“I know Sharon very well from my experience in coaching [Oliver Ames High] in the Hockomock League for 10 years,” Warriors coach Mike Mowatt said. “I know their coach very well.”

Mowatt was referring to Eagles coach Joan Cutter, who has worked with him at the Adirondack Club in Franklin, Mass as tennis instructors. Both coaches are longtime friends.

Sharon also didn’t have all of its regular starters. A few key players were out because of illness and injury. Even if the Eagles had all of their top players on the court, it may have made some of the matches much closer, but in all likelihood, it would not have changed the overall outcome in the match. Brookline is playing its best tennis since the tournament began.

“We’re peaking at the right time,” Mowatt said. “The guys are working hard in practice and they are being rewarded for their hard work. I also try to give them rest so they are fresh for the matches.”

The Warriors dominated the Eagles in singles play and lost only one game overall in the three matches combined. Junior Jayanth Devaiah and senior captain Sam Feldman bageled their opponents, juniors Rueman Bhattacharyya and Max Chen, 6-0, 6-0. Senior southpaw captain Noah Schwartz came close to bageling freshman Matthew Lally at third singles, but had to settle for a plate and a knife in a 6-0, 6-1 verdict.

Devaiah clinched his match at 3:39 p.m. when he held serve and ended the match with a crosscourt winner off a Bhattacharyya return. Brookline’s top player was masterful during his very short match by playing a steady game which forced many errors. He also caught his Sharon counterpart off-guard with a few drop shots in the right location for winners.

“It was a good win, and my teammates supported me,” Devaiah said. “I played well, and I played my game.”

Feldman was masterful with his serve and power game. He showed his prowess when he slammed a winner from the baseline late in the match and wrapped up the victory against Chen with a drop shot from the net that found the right location at 3:45 p.m.

“We were the better and stronger team today, and we knew we had something to prove,” Feldman said. “I was very motivated today.”

One minute after Feldman made it 2-0, the lefty Schwartz secured Brookline’s third point and the overall team victory.

“I’m really happy about it,” Schwartz said. “Sharon is a good team and one of the better teams we faced all year. The kid I played had good fundamentals and it was a privilege to play him.”

The Warriors’ first doubles tandem of senior captain Vardaan Kharbanda and freshman Dhevin Nahata were too strong for junior Mitch Weiss and freshman Alex Bodovalev in their 6-1, 6-2 victory. Both Brookline players were steady and consistent. They closed out the match on Kharbanda’s overhead slam at the net for a winner in the gap at 4:04 p.m., which was the last match to finish.

Only one minute earlier, junior Anders St. Clair and freshman Aarush Admala completed their 6-3, 6-1 victory at second doubles over junior Rowan Greg and sophomore lefthander Hyojae Park. St. Clair was strong all game with his serves, volley and net game. Admala’s overhead slam for a winner in the gap off a St. Clair served ended the match.

“We had good help from our coaches,” Schwartz said. “Coach Mowatt does a good job preparing us.”

Brookline’s match against Wellesley will be the fourth match of the season between the two powerhouse teams. All three Raider losses came at the hands of the Warriors. If Brookline wins, which it’s favored to do, Wellesley will end the season 0-4 against the Warriors, 16-0 versus everyone else.

“It’s always tough to play a team you know well and know us well too,” Mowatt said. “They have a complete team with high quality coaches.”

A Brookline win will raise its winning streak to 61 matches. The Warriors last setback was a 3-2 decision at Lexington High on May 1, 2018. There’s a strong chance that Brookline will face Lexington in the Division 1 Eastern Mass. Finals. The Minuteman play at Acton-Boxboro High in the Division 1 North Finals Friday June 24 at 12 p.m.

After losing to Lexington, the Warriors avenged their loss three times. They defeated the Minutemen in the 2018 and 2019 Eastern Mass. Division 1 Finals and they won a home match against Lexington in 2019.

“It’s our goal three-peat and keep the streak going,” Feldman said.

Schwartz said, “It feels great and goes by very fast. It’s amazing how fast [the experience of playing high school tennis] is going by and we’re able to do it. Winning states is my wish.”