Millburn HS Tennis Defeats Montclair High

In a busy three-day period, Millburn High School's varsity boys' tennis team managed to play Montclair twice -- and win both times -- and fail to defend its Essex County Tournament championship in a tightly contested battle with Newark Academy.

First, the Essex County Tournament finished up on Saturday at Branch Brook Park. In the semifinal match Saturday morning, Millburn defeated Montclair five courts to none, but three of the matches got off to a slow start for Millburn, lasting three sets before the Millers prevailed.

Tyler Schick, Millburn first singles, dispatched Jackson Claudio 6-1, 6-0, to earn the first team point. Dean Koman notched the second team point at second singles, beating Julian Naegli 6-0, 6-2. Second doubles Josh Landau and Jon Duan clinched the match for Millburn by defeating James Becker and Jake Erikson 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. The fourth point came courtesy of Andrew Nolff and Evan Imegwu on the first doubles court, who downed Ryan Kautz and Will Wallace 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Teddy Moskovitz reeled in the last point when he took out Leo Hentschker 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

In the final round, Millburn faced off against Newark Academy, which had beaten Livingston in the semifinals.

Three days earlier, on Wednesday, Millburn handed the Livingston private school its first defeat this season, winning 4-1. This day the tables were turned, and the Millers went down 1-4.

The first team point -- and only one for Millburn -- belonged to Schick on the top singles court, who beat Daniel Eatroff 6-0, 6-2.

Next, Landau and Duan fell to Reid Schalet and Arjuna Siva 6-4, 7-5 at second doubles.

With the score tied at one all, the match stalled while the three remaining courts were locked in three-set battles. Ultimately, Milllburn's Moskovitz, Koman, and Nolff and Imegwu, at third and second singles and first doubles, respectively, were undone by Newark Academy's Dylan Flanagan, Chris Paradis, and and the Ben Hyatt/Jonathan Holtzman pairing.

On Sunday, Millburn's Schick returned to Branch Brook Park to compete in the tournament singles championship, which includes top court players who went undefeated throughout the tournament. With his win against Livingston's Anthony Caputo, Schick captured the trophy and the title of 2013 Essex County singles champion.

On Monday, the Millburn team regrouped and traveled to Montclair for a regular conference match, beating Montclair by five courts to none.

Monday's lineup included Schick and Koman at first and second singles and Duan at third subbing for an absent Moskovitz. First doubles was Jason Ginsburg and Keith Knopp, with Nolff and Imegwu manning second doubles. All players won in straight sets.

The Millers' next match is slated for Friday at 4 p.m. against James Caldwell High School at Millburn's home courts.