4-3 is story of Clippers’ league season

A win-loss record can say a lot, but sometimes it doesn’t tell the whole story. As a case in point, consider the Southold/Greenport high school boys tennis team.

The Clippers lost a pair of 4-3 matches this past week to the Rocky Point Eagles and the William Floyd Colonials, the top two teams in Suffolk County League VIII.

Going into yesterday’s final league match in Center Moriches, the Clippers’ record was 7-4 overall and League VIII. With a win against the Red Devils, Southold/Greenport would equal its 2009 record of 8-4. Five years ago, when the Clippers reformed their team after a five-year period in which it was inactive, they went 0-10. Since then their records have been 4-6, 5-5 and 8-4. Southold/Greenport Coach Andrew Sadowski sees his team is continuing to improve.

“It is frustrating we couldn’t squeak one of these close ones out,” he said. “It would’ve been fun. But we’ve also won some 4-3 matches along the way. We’re much more competitive.”

In Monday’s 4-3 loss to Rocky Point (10-4, 9-3) at the town tennis courts in Peconic, the Clippers split the four singles matches. Desi Tetrault of Southold edged Zack Myslinski, 7-5, 6-4, in second singles. Southold’s third singles player, Josh Robinson, outlasted Ruslan Ardasher, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Tetrault was in control of his match the whole time, while Robinson’s match went back and forth the entire way. Sadowski said, “It was a great match, with each player really pushing each other.”

Rocky Point’s Sam Agoglier topped Anthony Losquardo, 6-1, 6-2, in first singles. The fourth singles contest went to Rocky Point’s Kamil Remiszewski, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Zach Sacher.

Southold/Greenport’s first doubles team of Kevin Parma and K.J. Metz remained unbeaten as they rolled past Austin Whyte and Danny Lounsbury, 6-0, 6-3. Sadowski praised his duo. “They play so well together,” he said. “They cover the court well and trust each other.”

But Rocky Point rallied to win the final two doubles matches. Adam Ponetti and Peter Valerio came back to defeat Jack O’Donnell and Tim Winters, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, and Adam Barland and Tayean Hoban triumphed over Elliot Shine and Tyler Mehrman, 6-3, 6-3, to give the Eagles the win.

In the 4-3 home loss to William Floyd last Thursday, three of the four matches the Clippers lost went to three sets.

Losquadro cruised past Chris Oczeretko, 6-0, 6-1. Parma and Metz got off to a sluggish start, but then rallied to beat Rosario Palminteri and Dylan Ernest, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4. O’Donnell and Winters topped Cory Polurina and Kevin Rate, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2.

But William Floyd (12-2, 11-0) won three of the singles matches: Ray Kahn topped Tetrault, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3; Lance Plutowski rallied past Robinson, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; and Sabastian Alurra outlasted Sacher, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. William Floyd’s third doubles team of Zach Caratulo and Nick Parri beat Justin Rothman and Shine, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

“The kids are disappointed,” Sadowski said. “They are competitive. They know we’ve improved and gotten better.”

Even if the record doesn’t tell the whole story.