SCHENECTADY — Two hours of compelling tennis Tuesday afternoon at the Section II Class AA boys’ tennis championships in Central Park served as quite a meaningful prelude to the pulse-pounding final hour.
With a dramatic come-from-behind win in No. 5 singles by Bethlehem’s Nyle Dennin, the Eagles needed just one more win to secure a fifth straight sectional title. Shaker needed to rally in both of the remaining matches to claim a title for the first time since 1995 and that is exactly what the Blue Bison did.
The sophomore team of Josh Hennessey and Shashank Boosa won a back-and-forth match at the No. 1 singles to secure a thrilling 5-4 victory over Bethlehem.
“I have been doing this a long time and I don’t recall a match as tight as this one. It doesn’t get any tighter,” Shaker coach Gerry Cuva said. “The kids just refused to give up, both sides.”
“It is sensational,” said Shaker freshman Renat Gosmanov, who won a stirring match at No. 4 singles. “I think it insane and crazy that we won this match.”
Prior to the awards ceremony, Bethlehem coach Steve Smith went over a shook the hand of every member of the Shaker team.
Before Hennessey and Boosa completed the proceedings with their victory, Gosmanov trailed 6-5 in the third set against Bethlehem’s Aden Haas after dropping four straight points on his serve. Undeterred despite physical problems, Gosmanov broke back to force a tiebreaker. The freshman won that 7-5, a victory that sent spectators scurrying to get over to see the conclusion of the No. 1 doubles match.
“I knew if I lost, the team wasn’t going to win,” Gosmanov said. “If I didn’t win, it was our last chance. I had to battle through the pain. I needed electrolytes to keep going.”
Both Gosmanov and Haas both dug deep and rallied when it seemed things looked hopeless. There were six breaks of serve in…
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