PORT ANGELES — The Olympic League boys tennis title is staying put.
The Sequim Wolves claimed their second straight league crown after avenging one of their three losses of the season with a 5-2 defeat of Port Angeles on Wednesday.
Sequim took the top two singles matches, highlighted by No. 2 Mallory Maloney’s 6-0, 1-6, 6-1 defeat of Micah Roos, and top three doubles contests to earn the win.
“This was a great match between two very good teams,” said Sequim coach Mark Textor, who’s team fell to Port Angeles 4-3 earlier this season.
“Every match was exciting and close and could have gone either way.”
Sequim finished the season 11-3 overall, having won its last eight matches to go undefeated in Olympic League play.
“We came on like gangbusters at the end,” Textor said. “Part of it was we were missing two keys players for the first five matches [because of eligibility issues with practices].
“When we got those two guys back it made us better. Plus the kids just kept working really hard all year, all season.”
The loss was just the second of the season for Port Angeles, which settled for second place for the second year in a row following its own two-year run atop the Olympic from 2007-08.
“We were ready for the match, but Sequim played at an incredibly high level,” Rider (13-2 overall) coach Brian Gundersen said.
“I was happy with our quality of play, it just wasn’t enough today.”
Maloney’s win over Roos also gave the Sequim senior his own measure of revenge.
The three-time Class 2A state tournament participant lost to Roos in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 in September but managed to gut out a three-set victory on Wednesday.
“It was a great match,” Textor said. “Micah is such a great player and a gracious player.
“It seemed like almost every game went to deuce. All of those sets were really close even though the score wasn’t that way.”
The dramatic duel was one of two three-setters in the singles draw. That also included Port Angeles’ Tavish Casey coming back to beat Duncan Skinner in a 6-7, 6-2, 7-6 classic.
Each of the doubles matches went in straight sets, with Sequim’s No. 1 tandem of Michael Lee-Byron Boots leading the way with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of A.J. Konopaski and Hayden McCartney.
“Port Angeles is our favorite team to play because they are so competitive and always play with class and good sportsmanship,” Textor said.
Both teams must now prepare for the upcoming 2A sub-district tournament.
The event features singles and doubles brackets with 32 slots from the Olympic and South Puget Sound leagues. It begins on Friday and is scheduled to last through Tuesday.
Only nine from each bracket move on to the 2A West Central District tournament next spring, with the first round of matches all single elimination.
“This tournament is a new format for us and we are excited about our chances to advance to districts,” coach Gundersen said.
SEQUIM 5, PORT ANGELES 2
Match Report
Singles
No. 1 : Maloney (SE) def. Roos (PA) 6-0, 1-6, 6-1.
No. 2: Lamb (SE) def. Negus (PA), 6-1, 6-2.
No. 3: Casey (PA) def. Skinner, (SE) 6-7, 6-2, 7-6.
Doubles
No. 1: Lee-Boots (SE) def. AJ Konopaski-McCartney (PA), 6-3, 6-4.
No. 2: Richards-Hill (SE) def. Beasley-Reid (PA), 6-3, 6-3.
No. 3: Gunstone-Lee (SE) def. Michael and Marcus Konopaski (PA), 6-4, 7-5.
No. 4: Napiontek-Crain (PA) def. Herrera-Huls (SE), 6-0, 6-4
