After Taking North Title, Sachems One Win From State Crown

NORTH READING -- Julia Thompson, Katharine Dougherty, and Brooke Scully have already graduated from Winchester High School and it would be easy for them to join friends in looking ahead to the fall and college. But the three have some unfinished business and Thursday in North Reading they took a huge step toward their ultimate goal, winning a state tennis title.

The Sachems beat Newburyport, 5-0, in the Division 2 North final. Just one match remains and they'll face defending Division 3 state champion Martha's Vineyard on Tuesday for the state championship. Vineyard, which beat Foxboro Thursday, 4-1, moved up a division this spring.

"All of us are all super dedicated because we've been together, not just in high school. We all played on the North Shore team together and are super close friends," said Dougherty, who has been working since graduation at a girls' camp in Maine and was on a 6:30 p.m. train back to Maine following the match. "We're all in it together."

For the past three years Winchester has come close but each year fallen just short of a title. Three years ago it was a loss in the North final. The last two years it was a loss in the semifinals. Being close means you're very good. It also means you're not good enough.

Against the Clippers, Winchester (20-0) left little doubt which team was best. Thompson, who will play at Loyola Maryland, won at first singles, beating Emily Dekanter, 6-1, 6-0. At second singles, the Colby-bound Dougherty beat Sophie Pace, 6-0, 6-0; and at third singles, freshman Caroline Fredey topped Ann Dekanter, 6-1, 6-1.

It was more of the same in doubles where Connecticut College-bound Skully and freshman Jordan Weinberg combined for a 6-0, 6-0 win over River Sava and Emma Filipancic. At second doubles, Winchester completed the sweep with juniors Taylor Kenrich and Lauren Chilton beating Meredith Vartabedian and Molly Page, 6-1, 6-1.

"This team means so much and it's just been an amazing season," said Dougherty.

A season with one more match to go.

Photo by Bob Holmes