By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
Ask Walpole residents which high school boys’ sports team has been the most successful over the years, and many might say football, baseball or hockey. But no team has matched the consistency of the boys’ tennis program, which has reached the state tournament in 24 of the last 25 seasons.
Under coach Shawn Gough, who has led the team for 30 years, Walpole has transformed from a struggling program into a perennial contender. On Friday, the Timberwolves added another win to their storied legacy, defeating Catholic Memorial 4-1 at Walpole High School.
The matchup has been competitive for much of Gough’s tenure—so much so that Catholic Memorial’s current coach once faced Walpole as a player. The Knights entered the match 1-2, with a win over Randolph and losses to Boston Latin Academy and Boston Latin School.
Walpole, meanwhile, had swept its first two matches against Braintree and Milton before falling to Needham in a tough Bay State Conference contest.
With usual No. 1 singles player Stephen Jung, a junior captain, unavailable due to a prior commitment, the Timberwolves adjusted their lineup. The doubles teams made quick work of their matches, with the first duo of Jadhav and junior Matthew Anastasi winning 6-1, 6-0, and the second pair of junior Pravith Sivakumar and sophomore Ramu Muthukaruppan cruising to a 6-1, 6-1 victory.
The singles matches, however, were tightly contested, with all three going to a third set or tiebreaker. Sophomore Luke Moses clinched the team win at No. 3 singles, rallying for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 triumph.
Junior Brady Goldman, filling in at No. 1 singles, pushed his match to a super tiebreaker before falling 6-7, 7-6 (6-10) in a battle of long rallies and precise groundstrokes. At No. 2 singles, sophomore Dillon Blaquiere outlasted his opponent 7-6, 6-7, 10-7 in the day’s longest match.
The victory improved Walpole’s record to 3-1, keeping the team on track for another state tournament appearance. The Timberwolves will face Catholic Memorial again on May 16 in the rematch.
