Spartans, Vikings Boys' Tennis Soars

Broad Run Secures 1st District Title Since '96; Valley Is Undefeated

By Matt Brooks (Contact)

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Over the last calendar year, Broad Run High School has been the undisputed powerhouse in Loudoun County high school sports. After picking up a Virginia AA state championship in football to go along with state titles in girls' soccer and softball, the Spartans have dominated the landscape in several major sports. They’ve also seen a slew of other teams earn league titles and reach the regional playoffs. And if simply winning wasn’t good enough, all three state title teams did so in perfect fashion, with undefeated seasons.

The Broad Run boys' tennis team was left well out of the conversation of the great Spartan teams in recent years. After all, they hadn't won a district crown since 1996 and bounced around the middle of the pack in five years under head coach Chris Pasternak. But all that changed on Thursday night when the Spartans defeated Park View 8-1 to claim the district championship and continue their magical season. With two games left on the regular season schedule, Broad Run is 12-0 and poised for a postseason run for the first time in 13 years.

"Competing around here in the spring, it seems like every sport is winning a district title except for boys’ tennis," Pasternak said. "As much as you laugh it off, it does stick with you a little bit. Going into this season we thought we had a chance, and it's definitely nice to join the party around here."

With a top six that features just two seniors, the Spartans' roster features plenty of young talent and an experience level that belies their collective age. Eight team members have played together for two or three seasons at Broad Run and many have shared courts since middle school.

The Spartans returned nearly all of the team that finished 8-8 last season, including former No. 1 Max Kadyrkaev. Despite struggling through a back injury for much of the season and conceding the top singles spot to sophomore Kevin Chang, the junior continues to be the leader for the Spartans and has teamed with Chang to go 12-0 at No. 1 doubles.

"Max has been the face of this team for the last two years," Pasternak said. "He's got that experience and he's been the top guy so that's who the rest of the kids look to when they need a boost."

Buoyed by the consistent play of Chang (10-1) at the top of the lineup, a player whose poise and composure are well beyond his years, the Spartans took a stranglehold on the district and never let up. In their season opener they dug out a 6-3 win over two-time reigning district champions Briar Woods – a team that had tormented them in recent years. Three weeks ago when they completed a season sweep at Briar Woods and followed it up with a win at Loudoun County the next afternoon, Pasternak said his team began to realize the league title was theirs to lose.

Despite several close matches, they have never entered doubles play with less than a 4-2 lead over their opponent and have yet to sweat out a 5-4 nail biter. The results were made possible by the top-to-bottom strength of the Spartans lineup which includes players like junior Naveen Vaddadi (9-2) who worked tirelessly in the offseason to improve from a .500 No. 4 player a year ago to a standout with only two losses on the season while splitting time in the second and third spot. But if there’s one concern heading into the district tournament and regional playoffs – Broad Run’s district title guarantees them a spot – it’s the lack of playoff experience and the up-and-down play of their third doubles tandem, which has featured numerous combinations of players and produced only mixed results.

"That does concern you a little bit since we haven’t been in that spot," Pastnernak said. "Briar Woods definitely has some very good doubles teams and we're still trying to work the kinks out a little bit at No. 3. So if we got to 3-3, it could be pretty tough for us."

But for now, the Spartans will relish their opportunity to complete a perfect regular season with their final matches coming at Freedom and at Potomac Falls this week, and worry about the postseason when it arrives.

"There is some pressure off, but at the same time you want to build momentum going into the regional," Pasternak said. "We're not overly experienced come playoffs, so we want to keep treating these matches like they're important and we definitely want to finish this thing."

Loudoun Valley Rolls, Though Liberty Awaits

Broad Run isn't the only boys' tennis team with an unblemished mark this late in the season. Just down the road in Purcellville, the Loudoun Valley Vikings are looking to close out a Cedar Run District championship and continue their 11-0 season with a return trip to the regional playoffs. At a school where the girls' tennis team has made headlines in recent years with deep playoff runs, the boys appear to have caught up, giving the Vikings a strong chance to sweep the district on the courts.

With three matches left to play – including the completion of a match with undefeated Liberty and a full second match with the Eagles slated for Monday, weather permitting – Valley has the district championship in its sights. The school's last title in boys' tennis came back in 1993, when the majority of its junior-heavy team wasn't even born yet.

"Once we saw regionals last year, I think the guys realized that they can get back there every year and win a district championship," Loudoun Valley Coach Alex Bennett said. "I think that attitude has progressed to this year and they're taking it much more seriously because they want to reach that goal."

On a roster that features two seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen, one constant has been the leadership of senior captain and No. 1 Chad Henderson. With a 45-16 career record in four full seasons with the varsity team, Henderson has established himself as the team captain on and off the court. Together with No. 1 doubles partner junior Brandon Deleonardis, Henderson is 10-1 and honing in on a doubles regional selection to go along with the team's imminent automatic berth in postseason play.

The strength of the Henderson/Deleonardis tandem and that of the other two doubles teams will be tested immediately on Monday as the Vikings complete a match against fellow unbeatens Liberty in the first half of a doubleheader. When the match was called back on March 16, the Eagles held a 4-2 lead, meaning Valley needs to sweep doubles to remain undefeated and bolster their hopes of a district crown. Regardless of the result in that match, they'll be forced to turn right back around and play another full match against their toughest Cedar Run rivals.

"The guys have really got to show Liberty that they've got to win the district on our court," Bennett said. "That's the attitude they've brought all year and you couldn't ask for better results to this point."

With a top four district finish guaranteed, the Vikings have earned a return trip to the regional playoffs where they can call on the experience gained from last season's 5-0 first round loss to Albermarle. They also have plenty of experience in tight matches this season, which will help them come tournament time.

In a March 31 match with Battlefield, freshman No. 2 Noah Fenton trailed his opponent late but rallied back to knot things at 3-3 heading into doubles. After a split at one and three doubles, the No. 2 doubles tandem of Fenton and Erik Driscol rallied from 8-6 down to seal a 5-4 victory for their team. That win provided a jolt of confidence that has only intensified with each ensuing win.

"If we can get our guys believing they’re the top team in the district, they're not going to be nervous going into the playoffs like they were last year," Bennett said. "We had a couple guys up big against Albermarle and they lost. But with the way they've played against the top teams this year and all the 5-4 matches they've had over the past couple years, they're not worried about that anymore. They just go out and play smart and if they can keep that up this week, we're going to be looking at a good seed in regionals."

Extra Points

By Paul Tenorio and Matt Brooks