It was the match both teams had circled on their calendars well before the season even started.
For the third straight year, the Broadneck and Severna Park High School tennis teams collided with undefeated records. The winner of the match should be on inside track to a Anne Arundel County championship, but that hasn’t been the case.
The Falcons have won the past two regular-season meetings but the Bruins are the two-time defending county champs.
“Still, this is the team we want to beat,” Broadneck coach Mike Hudson said. “I’d like to play them more often because they’re a great team and they always give us great competition.”
On Friday, the singles’ players for Severna Park dominated and the Falcons pulled out a 6-3 win.
“It was interesting because there were some matches I thought we should have won and they were a few that surprised me,” said Severna Park coach Kathy Zingler, whose team improved to a perfect 7-0 on the season.
“The singles were a huge factor, especially the girls. The No. 1 went three sets and Claudia (Ingram) has just been playing very well recently.”
Christina Harrington, a Severna Park freshman, rallied back for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over two-time county champ Michele Jordan. Harrington hurt her ankle in a match last week and it prevented her from playing in a USTA tournament last weekend.
“I just had to make sure to move a lot,” she said. “It feels good to pull it out and come back. I like having tough matches.”
Harrington may be in her first high school season, but she’s hardly a stranger to Jordan or the local competition.
“Her ability to come back means that she’s a seasoned player and not your typical freshman,” Zingler said.
Ingram knocked off Marissa Goldstein 6-1, 6-3 to sweep the girls singles matches for the Falcons.
On the boys side, senior Kevin Zingler kept his record unblemished with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Broadneck senior Stephen Woody. Zingler has yet to drop a regular-season set in two years and Woody was in his first season of playing so there were some uncertainties going into the match.
“It was a tough match,” said Zingler, who had gone against Woody during the summer. “He blew me out of the water to start the second set. He went up, 5-4, but I sort of kicked in the after burners and finished out the set.”
Broadneck’s Zach Ware and Brian Sachtjen, the Bruins’ No. 1 and 2 singles players from a year ago, have joined forces and the partnership is working out. They beat former county and region champs Ben Rosenthal and Patrick Rice, 6-2, 7-6. The second set went to a tie-breaker and emotions ran high.
“It was a big win for us but I’m sure we’ll see them again,” Sachtjen said.
Said Ware: “It’s going to give us a lot of confidence going into counties.”
Aaron Littlejohn played exceptionally well in his second match back from an ankle injury he suffered during the basketball season. The Falcons’ No. 2 singles player upended Dan Heffernan, 6-4, 6-4.
The Bruins’ No. 2 doubles duo Alex Banks and Jon Coe was dominant in their 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jake Solyst and Andrew Athans.
“Our doubles teams are just fantastic,” Hudson said. “Alex, Jon, Zach and Brian all play each other very even in practice. I really feel that’s a big strength for the team. I also think on the girls’ side that Maggie (Banks) and Danielle (Felton) were very impressive.”
Banks and Felton topped Alex Paugels and Erica Johnson, of Severna Park, in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.
Kathy Zingler said that mixed doubles partners Shelly Wilke and Matt Balleza had a big impact. They did not surrender a single game against Broadneck’s Victoria Handlin and Eric Pedersen in their 6-0, 6-0 win.
In the Falcons’ only doubles win, Hannah Fasick and Cayla Chandler downed Abby Powell and Julia Gruenberger, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
“I’m expecting Hannah and Cayla to keep putting up performances like that,” Kathy Zingler said.
SEVERNA PARK 6, BROADNECK 3
Boys Singles
Kevin Zingler (SP) d. Stephen Woody (BN), 7-5, 6-4
Aaron Littlejohn (SP) d. Dan Heffernan (BN), 6-4, 6-4
Girls Singles
Christina Harrington (SP) d. Michele Jordan (BN), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Claudia Ingram (SP) d. Marissa Goldstein (BN), 6-1, 6-3
Boys Doubles
Zach Hare/Brian Sachtjen (BN) d. Ben Rosenthal/Patrick Rice (SP), 6-2, 7-6
Alex Banks/Jon Coe (BN) d. Jake Solyst/Andrew Athans (SP), 6-4, 6-2
Girls Doubles
Maggie Banks/Daniele Felton (BN) d. Alex Paugels/Erica Johnson (SP), 6-1, 6-4
Hannah Fasick/Cayla Chandler (SP) d. Abby Powell/Julia Gruenberger (BN), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Mixed Doubles
Shelly Wilke/Matt Balleza (SP) d. Victoria Handlin/Eric Pedersen (BN), 6-0, 6-0
Team records: Severna Park 7-0; Broadneck 6-1