St. John's Prep Tennis Wins First Sectional Title Since 2003

Throughout this season, there were certain spots in the St. John’s Prep boys’ tennis team’s lineup that coach Mark Metropolis said he can count on for points: No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles. The Falcons’ success all year depended on picking up a third point from somewhere else, Rawson said.

On Friday, afternoon No. 2 singles player Spencer Canny filled that roll. His victory over Lexington High School’s Mark Pronchick locked up the MIAA North Division 1 championship for the Falcons.

It is the first sectional title since 2003 for St. John’s Prep, the No. 2 seed in the tournament field. Lexington was the top seed.

“It’s good to be back here,” Metropolis said. “We won the state title in 2001, so it’s been 10 years and it’d be nice if we could finish this off.”

The No. 2 singles match was the second to last to finish up at Newton South High School. Canny and Pronchick battled back and forth in an emotional match that had fans seemingly mesmerized.

Canny battled hard to win the first set 7-6 (7-5) and used the momentum to win the second set 6-3. The victory gave St. John’s the third and ultimately decisive point.

“That was a big match, Spencer played a solid match,” Metropolis said. “We needed somebody to step up and he stepped up. He stepped up as a senior.”

Next up, St. John’s Prep will play for its first state championship since 2001. It will compete in the MIAA Division 1 state semifinals against either Needham High School or North Quincy High School, whichever wins the South D-1 sectional.

That match is set for Monday back at Newton South.

On Friday, the Falcons picked up two quick points at No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles, which were the first two matches to conclude.

At No. 3 singles, Chris Toner made quick work of Lexington’s David Herrera. The Falcon won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2. The St. John’s duo of Mike Beluch and Mark Corvi then defeated Lexington’s Jonah Bader and Harry Nichols, 6-4, 6-3.

Lexington’s lone point came at No. 1 singles, as the Minutemen’s Ben Tso defeated Cameron Trosin 6-3, 6-2.

The last match of the day to finish was also the closest, as the No. 1 doubles matchup was the only one to go three sets. So, even though the Falcons had already wrapped up the win, both sides battled to win the final point of the match.

The Minutemen’s Dan Maffa and Preston Wu outlasted the Falcons’ John Corvi and Bradley Noyes 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 7-5. It was the first loss of the season for Corvi and Noyes.

“We took first doubles today, which was a match that I didn’t think I was ever going to grab,” Lexington coach Chris Pugliese said after his team claimed the finalist trophy. “That’s probably the best doubles team in the state. So, for my team to come through and go to a third set with the best doubles team in the state was huge. I’m proud, I’m happy and I’m not going away upset.”

Metropolis said he’s just happy his team is still playing, and that Corvi and Noyes could learn from the setback.

“Our kids came in prepared,” he said. “You don’t get better during the season, you have to come in ready, because the season is so short. If you do the right things in the preseason, when you get into the season there’s a good chance you’ll do well.”