The past three Western Massachusetts Division 3 boys tennis tournaments ended with Mount Greylock celebrating a victory over Belchertown.
The Orioles’ seniors, six of their seven starters, have seen it firsthand.
“These guys know this is their last chance to put their stamp on something and make themselves known,” Belchertown coach Zach Siano said. “They’ve got a bad taste in their mouth the last three years. I don’t think motivating them is necessary.”
Belchertown is the top seed for the third straight year. The Orioles (16-3) have a quarterfinal-round bye and will host the winner of No. 4 Monument Mountain (8-3) vs. No. 5 Turners Falls (10-5). The semifinal is at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“It’s one of our goals at the beginning of the season because we want to give ourselves the path of least resistance to get to the finals,” Siano said. “Having the 1 seed has been a huge help in the past. I don’t think it’s as important this year.”
Greylock won’t be waiting in the finals. The Mounties missed the postseason with a young team.
That doesn’t mean Belchertown is overlooking any of the other five teams in the tournament. Siano coached on Belchertown’s soccer staff and saw the Orioles overlook Southwick in the sectional championship game.
“Any of those teams can knock us out,” he said. “I’m trying to use the sins of the past so they don’t write our future.”
Pioneer Valley Christian Academy (12-2) received the No. 2 seed and a bye.
South Hadley (9-8) reached the semifinals last year, losing to Belchertown. The Tigers are the third seed and will host No. 6 Lee (8-5) at 3:30 p.m. Monday. The winner visits PVCA at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Girls Division 3
South Hadley earned the top seed in the sectional tournament for the second straight year. The Tigers (15-3) lost in the semifinals last year after reaching the final in 2016. They last won a sectional title in 2009.
“I still feel that my team is good, strong and ready for the playoffs,” Tigers coach Eric Cestero said. “I explained to them the importance of the matches that they’re playing.”
South Hadley has zero seniors on the roster, but Cestero has seen it all in his 23 years coaching South Hadley. He’s brought in former players to test his current crop.
“Everyone else is going to get competitive,” he said. “I think it got the message across.”
South Hadley will host the winner of Monday’s match between No. 9 Mount Everett (7-7) and No. 8 Pope Francis (10-7), Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Lee (14-0) earned the No. 2 seed.
He’s saying there’s a chance. Longmeadow has reigned over Division 1 in western Mass. for 20 years and are rightly the top seed at 16-0.
But No. 2 Amherst Regional (13-2) has played them tight in 2018. The Hurricanes lost 3-2 and 4-1 during the regular season.
“You learn the most when you play people who really push you or even beat you,” Amherst coach Jeremy Wise said. “One of the things we learned is it’s not out of the realm of possibility for us to beat them, though they’re clearly the favorite and longstanding champion.”
Longmeadow handed Amherst its only two losses during the regular season. The Hurricanes improved from a barely above .500 team last year.
“The guys can really play tennis, what can I say. The coaches’ job is to not mess up the players,” Wise said. “They’re a close-knit bunch of kids. Some the kids who don’t normally play in the matches are the glue that helps the team stick together. They’ve got the right chemistry.”
Northampton (13-5), the No. 3 seed, will lean on talented youth at the top of the lineup in freshman Stefan Johnson at No. 1 singles and sophomore Aidan O’Brien at No. 2. The Blue Devils have experience in the other parts of their lineup that carried them through challenging stretches. They’ll host No. 6 Minnechaug (9-7), at 3:30 p.m. Monday at JFK Middle School.
A potential Amherst-Northampton rivalry match awaits in the semifinals on Thursday.