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Bishop Hafey transfers star for the Cougars, who deal the Blue Knights their first loss.
HAZLETON – Tom McGuire changed his style, Mike Sidari changed up his game and Hazleton Area changed its fortunes.
The Cougars finally climbed to the top of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Tennis Conference South Division.
Sidari cruised to a straight-set victory in the top singles match, Hazleton Area’s doubles teams followed suit and the Cougars upended previously unbeaten Wyoming Seminary, 4-1, to move into a first-place tie in the conference.
“It’s awesome,” Sidari said. “We just had to go all-out, play with nothing to lose. It was just the opportunity to knock someone off.”
The Cougars took full advantage.
Sidari swept to a 6-4, 6-2 victory, while Hazleton Area’s top doubles team of Dante Fierro and Terrance Eyerly fought for a 6-4, 6-4 win. Gifford Gregory and Tyler Kowalczyk earned a 6-3, 6-4 victory in the No. 2 doubles match to provide the deciding point.
But that didn’t stop McGuire from adding a fourth point for Hazleton Area at No. 3 singles.
After losing the first set 6-0 and trailing 5-1 in the second, McGuire backed off from his aggressive style and baited his opponent into a lob game. He ultimately rallied to win a tiebreaker in the second set and gritted out a 7-5 victory in the third to capture the match and join his Sem teammates in first place in the NEPTC South.
That was especially uplifting to Sidari and his six other Hazleton Area starters who played for Bishop Hafey last season but joined the Cougars during last year’s Catholic schools merger.
Hazleton Area joined the Blue Knights at 11-1 and both are heavy favorites in their final matches as they fight for the South Division championship trophy. The regular season ends today with Seminary hosting Wyoming Area, and Hazleton Area traveling to Meyers. The scenario sent NEPTC league president Charlie Turco reaching for his rule book.
“We never had a tie before,” said Turco, who wasn’t sure Tuesday night if a division champ would be crowned based on head-to-head competition or a one-match playoff should the teams finish the regular season sharing the division’s top spot.
Either way, Hazleton Area will relish it.
“It’s been a long time since Hazleton’s done anything in tennis,” said second-year Cougars Coach Robert Freeman.
Evidently, times have changed.
“They just played better,” Wyoming Seminary first-year Coach Mike Balutanski said. “We, in the last few matches, haven’t been challenged as much as we were today.”
SINGLES — 1. Mike Sidari (HA) d. Jack Cornell 6-4, 6-2; 2. Nick Strzeletz (Sem) d. Matt Breslin 6-4, 6-2; 3. Tom McGuire (HA) d. Bijoy Ghosh 0-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.
DOUBLES — 1. Dante Fierro/Terrance Eyerly (HA) d. Derek Kopen/R.J. Aulakh 6-4, 6-4; 2. Gifford Gregory/Tyler Kowalczyk (HA) d. J.C. Bennett/Rory Corcoran 6-3, 6-4.
“It’s been a long time since Hazleton’s done anything in tennis.”
Robert Freeman
Hazleton Area coach