by Tom Utescher

It’s not a formal title, but the tennis team at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy can claim to be the Inter-Ac champions of the eastern side of the Schuylkill River.

The Blue Devils had defeated Germantown Academy back on April 9, so with last Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over visiting Penn Charter, SCH had knocked off both of the other two Inter-Ac schools on this side of the river. Head coach Karen Simeone is only in her second season at the helm of the program, but even those who have been associated with the team for a longer period had trouble pinpointing the last time the SCH racquetmen knocked off these two league rivals.

The match at GA was prematurely ended by rain, but the Blue Devils had already won four of the five matches completed, and thus clinched the team victory. The winners for SCH were junior Levi Veleanu (first singles), freshman David Lubell (third singles), senior Cole Golden and junior Sante Filippini (first doubles) and junior George Peck and senior Ehson Shirazi (second doubles). The Patriots won at fourth doubles thanks to freshman Kwabena Ampomah and sophomore Sam Fortunato.

After that, SCH overcame Hill School and Julia R. Masterman School to enter last week’s bout against PC with an overall record of 3-2.

Last Tuesday third doubles was one of the first matches to finish, with freshman Zach Schapiro and senior Simon Kioko of SCH winning 6-2, 6-1 over PC junior Sebastian Lee and senior Mac Langford.

At first doubles, the Quakers’ senior combo of Rohan Bhambhani and Tom Bradbeer topped Golden and Filippini of the host team, 6-4, 6-3, but this was the only bout that Penn Charter would capture in pairs play.

The number one spot for the 2019 Penn Charter tennis squad belongs to freshman Liam Birnie. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

Springside Chestnut Hill’s George Peck had been troubled by a migraine headache earlier in the school day, but he was determined to get in his second doubles match along with his partner, Shirazi. They gave a strong performance in a 6-1, 6-2 victory over the visiting combo of sophomore Sam Stedman and freshman Jerome Glantz.

At fourth doubles, scores of 6-2, 6-3 took Blue Devil freshman Victor Kasian and junior Christopher Yarish past PC’s Will Lubowitz and Dylan Goldberger, a sophomore and a freshman, respectively.

Charter was faring better in singles competition, starting with its freshman number one, Liam Birnie. Veleanu, the SCH junior, employed his experience and patience to extend a number of games, but the young Quaker still wrapped things up in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

At third singles, Charlie Jordan-Weinstein of the visiting squad breezed through the first set at 6-0, but he received a stiff challenge from the Blue Devils’ Lubell in the second set before closing it out at 7-5.

PC sophomore Joshua John secured the opening set at second singles, 6-2, then SCH senior Victor Jones regrouped to take the next two, 6-1, 6-2, recording an important victory for the Devils.