Last season, Shady Side Academy's Alok Nimgaonkar and Chris Grubbs won the WPIAL doubles title before falling to eventual state champion Alex Brzozowski and Mario Nicolia of Erie Cathedral Prep.
Both of the Erie Cathedral Prep players were seniors. So Nimgaonkar and Grubbs will be among the favorites.
Their toughest competition will likely come from Conestoga, West Chester Prep and Fox Chapel.
In 2012, Shady Side Academy advanced to the PIAA Class AAA team championship before losing 4-1 to 2011 champion Conestoga.
This past weekend, the Indians again advanced to the state final to face Conestoga, and again they lost, 4-1.
“You look back at it and it was a great season,” said Shady Side Academy coach Tom Mercer. “It’s was a little disappointing at the end, but we won another WPIAL title, and that’s nothing to take lightly. We also beat the No. 2 and No. 3 teams from the Philadelphia area.”
With one of the biggest upsets during this year’s WPIAL baseball playoffs, the Shady Side Academy baseball team knocked off two-time defending PIAA champion Riverside in the first round last week. The Indians entered the postseason following three consecutive regular-season losses.
Chris Sawicki paced 14th-seeded Shady Side Academy (14-7) by going 4 for 4 with four RBIs during the 9-2 victory in a Class AA first-round playoff game at Highlands. Pitcher Paul McCullough earned the win for Shady Side Academy.
McCullough has been one of the Indians’ top batters this season. The 6-foot-2 sophomore hit .518 (29 for 56) with 22 RBIs during the regular season.
Shady Side Academy won its third WPIAL title in three years, and now they have their eyes set a bigger goal.
A state title.
The Indians reached the final in 2010, the quarterfinals in 2011 and the final against last season, but haven’t won a state championship since 2003.
However, the state tournament experience of past years should help.
For the fourth straight year, Shady Side Academy’s boys tennis team found itself in the WPIAL Class AAA championship match.
And for the third time during that span, the Indians raised the first-place trophy.
Shady Side Academy defeated North Allegheny, 5-0, in a championship match that was much closer than the score indicated.
tennis