Today's objective of the Westfield High School tennis team is a simple one. Become the state's No. 1 team for the sixth time and first time since 2007.
The No. 2 seeded Blue Devils (30-3) will face off with No. 1 seed Chatham in the Tournament of Champions title game. The match will begin at 3 p.m. at Mercer County Park in West Windsor. Westfield was beaten twice by Chatham by 3-2 scores earlier in the season at the Delbarton and Newark Academy tournaments, but that was without senior Adam Reich, who returned May 11 from surgery of both of his hips. He's 8-0 since returning.
Westfield will be making its fourth straight appearance in the TOC final. The Blue Devils won in 2007, but lost the last two years. This will be the first time since 1994 that two public schools have made the final.
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Westfield advanced with a 3 ½- 1/1/4 win over rugged Dwight-Englewood.
Reich won in straight sets at third singles as did the second doubles team of Tom Kowalski and Scott Thompson. The first doubles team of Graeme Stahl and Alan Chu, beaten earlier in the season by Englewood's Francis Loh and Eric Rosengart, avenged that loss with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. That's the only loss Stahln and Chu have suffered.
The Blue Devils were beaten by Newark Academy in last year's final.
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"I thought we had a shot last year, but I think I'm more confident this year,'' said Westfield coach George Kapner. "
The Blue Devils are healthier this time around. Chu also had some injuries the last time Westfield faced Chatham. But he's 100 percent now. Reich is getting there.
"We had a very, very, very tight match with Dwight Englewood,'' Kapner said.
"We're expecting a war with Chatham as well.''
Chatham won the three singles matches and Westfield took the doubles matches.
Senior Scott Bernstein, who has been drawing some of the better players in the state, fell to Daniel Shutov 6-2, 6-4. Justin Snyder and Englewood's Max Sachs drew their match at second singles 7-6 (0), 6-7 (2).
"We won easily at third singles and second doubles, but everything else was a war,'' Kapner said.
The Blue Devils were the top team in the state in 1957, 1978, 1986, 1987 and 2007.
"We're playing very good tennis right now,'' Kapner. "I know we're going to get a great effort from every one of the kids.''
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