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By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
EBENSBURG -- Over the past nine seasons, Central Cambria and Westmont Hilltop have been annual combatants in the District 6 Class 2A girls team tennis championship match.
The two programs have battled for the team title in every one of the last nine seasons, and Westmont claimed a 5-4 edge in those matches by winning this year's district title match, 3-2, under sunny skies and brisk temperatures Wednesday afternoon on the Ebensburg Tennis Center Courts.
Third-seeded Westmont (10-5) swept both doubles matches to earn the District 6 team gold medal and advance to the first round of the PIAA Class 2A state tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Altoona Gorilla Center against the District 3 team runner-up.
Top-seeded Central Cambria wrapped up a 16-5 season.
"Our girls battled, they didn't give up,'' said Westmont Hilltop coach Dan Fregly, whose program has now reached the District 6 Class 2A team tennis championship match in each of his 12 seasons as its head coach.
"Central Cambria beat us in all three singles matches when we played them last week, so we thought that if we could get one of the singles matches today, we could steal the win. And that's what happened,'' Fregly said.
In number three singles, Westmont Hilltop junior Celina Hong was awarded the victory when her opponent, Central Cambria sophomore Alli Morgan, was forced to exit in the second set with an ankle injury.
Morgan had won the first set, 7-5, before Hong built a 5-2 lead in the second set. The match then came to a halt when Morgan's injury prevented her from continuing.
Westmont then went on to win both doubles matches, with junior Lyza Johnson and freshman Isabella Parrish carving out a 6-4, 6-2 win over Central Cambria seniors Liv Heinzeroth and Anna Stock in number one doubles, and Westmont sophomore Caridy Arnold and junior Ashley Gregorichik winning a decisive number two doubles match, 6-1, 6-4, over Central Cambria senior Lill Janosko and freshman Taryn Ream.
"Our doubles teams came through,'' Fregly said. "Our girls managed to win those two matches in straight sets. Some of our kids are in ninth and tenth grade, and this is a lot of pressure for these young kids. But they stepped up today.''
Central Cambria got off to a quick start when its number one singles player, junior Marley Ratchford, logged a 6-2, 6-1 win over Westmont senior Olivia Berish, and Central Cambria junior Lydia Paskowski pounded out a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Westmont senior Beth Buettner in the number two singles match.
"We've been playing Westmont in the team final for a long time, and I knew that this was going to be a tough match,'' said Ratchford, who won the District 6 singles tournament championship two weeks ago. "I knew that I needed to get my match taken care of today. I thought that we played well as a team.''
Central Cambria coach Kim Cavalier gave credit to Westmont -- which had earned its berth in the championship match by ousting second-seeded Central from the tournament on Tuesday.
"Westmont played really well today,'' Cavalier said. "Westmont was the better team today. That is all there is to it.
"It was a tough loss,'' Cavalier added. "It was unfortunate that Allie was forced to go off with that injury in the singles match. All of our doubles players are in their first year of competition this season. For our team to make it to the district team finals this year is just incredible.''
Central Cambria returns all three singles players and one doubles player from Wednesday's match next season.
"Hopefully, we can come back and get the gold in this event next year -- that is our goal,'' Ratchford said.
SINGLES
1, Ratchford, CC, def. Berish, 6-2, 6-1. 2, Paskowski, CC, def. Buettner, 6-3, 6-3. 3, Hong, WH, won by injury retirement over Morgan, 5-7, 5-2, match called.
DOUBLES
1, Johnson-Parrish, WH, def. Heinzeroth-Stock, 6-4, 6-2. 2, Arnold-Gregorchick, WH, def. Janosko-Ream, 6-1, 6-4.
Records: Westmont Hilltop (10-5); Central Cambria (16-5).