With five finalists, Suffield tops Ellington to win NCCC Tourney; Young team for Canton

Rowan Cookman played No. 1 singles all year for the Warriors and qualified for the Class S singles tournament. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

SUFFIELD, May 22 – The Suffield High boys tennis team swept all four league championships in singles and had a finalist in doubles to capture the NCCC boys tennis tournament Tuesday.

The Wildcats upended league champion Ellington (17-0, 14-0 NCCC) by four points, 22-18. Granby was a distant third with nine points.

Suffield freshman Akash Pines defeated Ellington senior Lucas Van Deventer, 6-4, 7-5 to win the NCCC championship at No. 1 singles. Suffield sophomore Stephan Sattan needed a second set tiebreaker to beat Ellington’s Jake Frye in the final at No. 2 singles.

Suffield’s Dennis Charkiewicz won at No. 3 singles while Suffield’s Matt Vindigni needed three sets to win at No. 4 singles.

Canton’s Cole Glasgow had a good year for the Warriors, qualifying to play in the Class S singles tournament. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

Canton (5-10, 4-10 NCCC) had a young team learning the ropes this year in the NCCC. Senior Rowan Cookman played at No. 1 singles in his first year as a singles player with the Warriors. He played well at the NCCC Tournament, losing to the No. 3 seed in a tiebreaker.

“He took a big jump to the top spot this year,” Canton High coach Dante Boffi said. “He is a tireless competitor as well as a heck of a team captain.”

A unanimous All-NCCC player, Cookman qualified to play in the Class S tournament along with junior Cole Glasgow and doubles players Cooper Mather and Evan Adams.

“(Glasgow) continues to be a model of consistency,” Boffi said. “He plays smart and keeps the opponents guessing.”

Glasgow finished fourth at No. 4 singles, falling in the third place match. Canton’s top doubles team of Mather, a freshman, and Adams, a sophomore, played well and finished fourth.

Canton participated in the Class S tournament with Adams and Mather picking up a three-set victory in doubles. Adams/Mather beat Timothy Mendes and Austin Roberts of Woodland Regional in the first round, 3-6, 6-4, 10-7. But Adams and Mather were eliminated in the second round by No. 3 seed Patrick Markovics and Mathew Newfield of Morgan, 6-0, 6-1.

In singles, Cole Glasgow dropped a first round match to No. 5 Andrew Ray of Nonnewaug, 6-0, 6-0 while teammate Rowan Cookman lost to Old Saybrook’s Jonah Rucci, 6-4, 7-5.

Mike Dupre played on Canton’s top doubles team this spring. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

2018 NCCC boys tennis tournament
At Suffield
Team results (partial) – 1. Suffield 22, 2. Ellington 18, 3. Granby 9
Individual results
Singles
No. 1: Akash Pines (Suffield)  def. Lucas Van Deventer (Ellington), 6-4, 7-5
No. 2: Stephan Sattan (Suffield) def. Jake Frye (Ellington), 6-2, 7-6 (7-0)
No. 3: Dennis Charkiewicz (Suffield) def. Alexander Gervin (Ellington), 6-3, 6-3
No. 4: Matt Vindigni (Suffield) def. Conniff (Windsor Locks), 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1: Andrew Heyman/Benjamin Heyman (Ellington) def. Evan Cramer/Bradford Even (Granby) 6-0, 6-4
No. 2: Owen Plourde/Jeremy Minalga (Granby) def. Zach Service/Gus Gee (Suffield) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
No. 3: Jacob Essig/Evan Gargiulo (Ellington) def. Chris Bulat/Moehammad Abidallah (Suffield) 6-4, 7-5