by Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond
The Deep Run boys tennis team has done what none of their previous teams have done before.
They beat tennis powerhouse Douglas Freeman.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 3 in the DigitalSports Top 10, won five of six singles matches on the way to a 6-3 victory over the second-ranked Rebels on Thursday.
“The Colonial District is tough…,” Deep Run’s Eric Shulman said. “Maggie Walker was a bit of a test for us, not having Hunter [Koontz] in the lineup. Freeman today, they’re one of the best. Never beaten them before. We opened the school in 2002 and we never have beaten them.”
Shulman helped change that for Deep Run (4-0 Colonial, 10-0) by topping Douglas Freeman’s Zach Carl 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.
Two players new to the rivalry, freshmen Koontz and Evan Charles, rallied to prevail in their matches.
Both dropped their first set but at No. 2 Koontz came back and beat Thomas Whaling 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 and Charles bested Charles Tilley 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 in the third spot.
Phillip Mosberg and Glenn Diersen won in straight sets at No. 5 and 6, respectively.
Douglas Freeman’s Ben Waschler grabbed the only singles victory for the Rebels (4-1, 11-2) with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Jake Fratkin at No. 4.
“The Deep Run mens tennis team has been working hard to create an environment in which rivalries exist,” Deep Run coach Salman Parvaiz said. “However, they are constructive ones instead of destructive. The athletes are creating an atmosphere in which one can be competitive yet respectful towards their opponents.”
Shulman, a senior headed to play at Christopher Newport next year, teamed up with Diersen to earn the only doubles point for the Wildcats but the outcome of the team match had already been decided by the singles.
“I played well. From the ground I was playing real well,” Shulman said. “I had a lot of key matches last week that helped me prepare for this and all the hard practices we’ve had for the past couple of weeks led me up to this. We’ve been practicing all year to beat this team.”
Now Deep Run will attempt another feat they have never accomplished before.
On Friday, the Wildcats meet top-ranked Mills Godwin in a makeup of a rain out from Tuesday.
“If we win here today we’ve got Godwin for the Colonial District championship tomorrow,” Shulman said. “Should be a test. We’ve never actually won a match against them, lost 9-0 every single time. So, we are looking to pull off an upset there tomorrow.”
Singles: Shulman (DR) d. Carl 6-1, 6-1; Koontz (DR) d. Whaling 4-6, 6-3, 6-0; Charles (DR) d. Tilley 5-7, 7-5, 6-2; Waschler (DF) d. Fratkin 6-0, 7-5; Mosberg (DR) d. Alley 6-4, 7-5; Diersen (DR) d. Evans 7-5, 6-0
Doubles: Shulman-Diersen (DR) d. Carl-Whaling 8-6; Evans-Harmon (DF) Koontz-Charles 8-6; Mountcastle-Blackmon (DF) d. Fratkin-Mosberg 8-6
Records: Deep Run 4-0 Colonial, 10-0; Douglas Freeman 4-1, 11-2
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