Friday, May 25, 2018

SERVING IT UP IN SECTIONS

By MATT BENSON

MATT BENSON FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY
Washingtonville’s varsity tennis singles players have made it to the semi finals of sections.  After multiple wins on the counties level, both Gavan O’Brien and Gabriel Castillo have made it to sections and found themselves in the final four for singles players in Section IX.

Castillo and O’Brien have made a gigantic splash in the tennis community of Section IX.  Castillo, a sophomore at Washingtonville High School, was matched up with the defending Section IX Champion and senior, Lucas Arora, at counties.  He came out with the victory in 6-0, 6-1 match. With this win, Castillo has earned himself the number one seed at sections.  The sophomore has been able to steamroll over the competition while only losing one game throughout counties.  A match is won by winning two sets.  A set is won by winning six games, and a game is won by earning four points.  He has not lost a set.  Castillo has yet to be put in a position in which he was down in a set. 

Meanwhile, Castillo’s teammate has not lost a set at sections either.  O’Brien earned himself a spot in the semi finals with an 6-0 set over 1-star recruit Daniel Feigelson from Millbrook.  It was a good match with a 6-3, 6-0 result, but Gavan O’Brien ended up on top.  The senior will have to play Lucas Arora to get himself into the section finals where he could potentially see Gabe Castillo.  When asked what it is like to play with a competitor like Castillo, O’Brien responded, “It’s amazing.  To play someone who can beat you day in and day out is unbelievably helpful to my game.  I’d rather play someone like Gabe and get beaten down because in the end; its’s going to make me a stronger competitor and a stronger person in general.”

These two tremendous athletes have made an incredible impact on their team as a whole throughout the season. Castillo and O’Brien played first and second singles for the Wizards this year. Castillo ended his regular season undefeated and has continued his winning streak through sections.  They helped the team end with a winning season, but they also helped their teammates. Senior teammate, Ryan Gil expressed, “It’s really beneficial to have these two great guys on the team because they’ve helped me become a better player.  Gabe and Gavan have taught me a lot about the game, and they’re always great teammates and friends, who support me in everything I do.”

If O’Brien and Castillo win Thursday, May 24th at MatchPoint Tennis, then they will play next Thursday at Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing, NY.  Good Luck to both of these talented Wizards!

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