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.
When Shady Side Academy’s No. 1 doubles team of Chris Grubbs and Michael Kann lost the first set of their match against North Allegheny’s Tomas Monti and Eric Huang in the WPIAL Class AAA title match, the Indians duo didn’t have to look back too far back in their past to figure out how to rally.
Grubbs and Kann had lost the first set in their previous match two days prior against Mt. Lebanon in the WPIAL semifinals before rallying for a three-set win.
(Photo: Felicia Tissenbaum: Shady Side Academy girls lacrosse.)
It didn’t look good early in Tuesday’s WPIAL Class AAA semifinal for top-seeded and defending district champion Shady Side Academy.
While Shady Side Academy freshman Cooper Kann easily won the No. 3 singles match, 6-0, 6-0, the Indians lost the first set at No. 1 and No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles against Mt. Lebanon.
A loss in those three matches would give the Blue Devils the win and the state tournament berth.
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