Bayport-Blue Point Beats Cold Spring Harbor to Defend Long Island Title, Headed Back to State Championships
In a match that was played over the course of two days due to rain, Bayport-Blue Point defeated Cold Spring Harbor 4-1 to win the Long Island Small School (Division 2) Championship, and propel the Phantoms to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Team Championships for the second straight season.
The championship began on Monday afternoon at Syosset High School, but when the rain fell, the match was suspended and moved to Tuesday with all five courts having either finished the first set, or deep into their opening sets.
When play resumed, Suffolk County singles champion Lily Castka got her Bayport-Blue Point team going with a 6-3, 6-1 victory at first singles, which was soon followed by a 6-1, 6-3 win from Jordana Heller & Julie Wellems at third doubles.
But Cold Spring Harbor hung tough with Stevie Sullivan & Dylan Savarese hanging on to win 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 at second doubles to trim their team’s deficit to 1-2.
That brought the Long Island Championship down to two courts, and in both of them Bayport-Blue Point had lost the first set, at second singles and first doubles.
“These girls work so hard, all season long and all offseason long,” said Bayport-Blue Point head coach John Selvaggio. “They have been in these tough situations before and always find a way to get out. You saw it all season long. These kids have it in them to handle it, and it’s a credit to them.”
With pressure building, the Bayport-Blue Point’s resilience shined through. Down a set, eighth-grader Eden Romano won the second set in a tiebreaker before completing her 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 comeback victory which sealed the Phantoms’ second straight Long Island title.
“I tried not to pay attention to what was going on around me, and didn’t know the scores of the other matches,” Romano said. “I didn’t want to lose for our team, especially the seniors. I tried to play more consistently, and knew that smacking the ball wasn’t going to get me anywhere. If I played more consistently, then it would give me a better chance to win.”
Soon after, Eden’s older sister, Evie, and Leila Rogers completed their team’s 4-1 win as they finished their first doubles comeback with a 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4 win.
Bayport-Blue Point advances to the NYSPHSAA Division 2 semifinals, where it will play Section V winner Honeoye Falls Lima. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“Nothing different than what we’ve been doing all season,” Selvaggio said of the strategy heading into the semifinals. “They’re going to go out there and have fun, play the game they love and rely on their instincts. Enjoy the process, that’s what it’s all about.”
