Sports

The Stuyvesant boys’ varsity tennis team, the Smokin’ Aces, traveled all the way to Staten Island on Thursday, May 8 to compete in their first playoff game since the 2005 season. The Smokin’ Aces came out of the very competitive Bronx/Manhattan A Division, which sent four teams including Stuyvesant to the playoffs—two of which were in the City Championship game. The Smokin’ Aces finished the season with a 7-5 record and a ninth seed in the playoffs.

In the first round, the Smokin’ Aces played the Pirates of Tottenville High School, who had finished at the top of their Staten Island A Division with a record of 11-1 and earned the eighth seed in the playoffs.

The Smokin’ Aces pulled off the win in a close match that was won by the score of 3-2. “I had a good feeling that we would beat the Tottenville High School team,” head coach Timothy Pon said. After losing the first two matches, the Smokin’ Aces came back to win the final three matches with ease.

“After beating Tottenville, we were of course extremely happy. Coach [Pon] was as well because it was the first time in four years that we made it past first round of the playoffs,” senior and co-captain Royce Hwang said.

The Smokin’ Aces then had to face the undefeated, defending champions in the quarterfinals—the Judges of Benjamin Cardozo High School. “It’s like David playing Goliath,” Pon said.

The Smokin’ Aces suffered a 5-0 loss to Cardozo where every match was lost either 10-1 or 10-2. This, however, was still better than how some other teams faired against the Judges. “I’m happy that I got two games and I know a lot of kids were happy that they got two games in,” senior, co-captain and first singles player Sam Alperin said.

The Smokin’ Aces will return next year in the same tough division after losing five seniors, including Alperin, Hwang and two other starters. “It was fun for all the seniors because we never saw our team in the playoffs,” Alperin said.

With three returning starters, the Stuyvesant Smokin’ Aces expect an equally successful season next year.