White, Walmach fall in quarterfinals
HERSHEY - The sweetest season in Pleasant Valley tennis history eventually came to an end on Friday.
But it couldn't have happened in a more appropriate place and it didn't happen until a little extra does of sugar was added.Just a couple of blocks off Chocolate Avenue in the city known as the 'Sweetest Place on Earth," the Bears' Jon White and Jon Walmach bowed out of the PIAA Class AAA Doubles Tournament in the quarterfinal round.It brought an end to a remarkable tennis season that saw Pleasant Valley set school marks in team, singles and doubles play.The success of White and Walmach in doubles play was definitely the icing on the cake during an appetizing season."I'm just thrilled with how our kids played today and the entire season," said Pleasant Valley coach Mark Allison just minutes after White and Walmach dropped a 6-3, 6-1 decision to Exeter's Nolan Pergini and Jonah Buczewski, the District 3 champions. "I couldn't be more proud of what we accomplished."Jon and Jon were the first Pleasant Valley tennis players to ever win a District 11 championship and the first to ever make it to States. I told them the hard part was winning the district championship and that this was the fun part. This was their reward."White and Walmach added to the fun in their opening match of the tournament with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 victory over District 8 championsTyler Pashel and Glenn Moore of Garrick High School.In the opening win, Pleasant Valley lost just five service points the entire match. Even more impressively, 23 of the 28 service points the Bears won during the match were on balls that Garrick couldn't put back in play as White and Walmach overwhelmed their opponents with aces and service winners."We really served the ball well in that first match," said Allison. "We got a high percentage of first serves in and they (Garrick) really had a lot of trouble handling them."The Bears continued to battle in their quarterfinal match, but a talented Exeter team had all the answers."They were definitely the best team we played all year," said White."They didn't leave you any room for error," explained Walmach. "They took advantage of any mistake we made."Despite the setback, however, both PV players left Hershey feeling good about the season and what the team had accomplished."Anytime you make school history, it's pretty exciting," said White. "To win the District championship and then get a chance to come out here and play with all these great players and great teams is very rewarding."Walmach added, "It was a senior year that I'll never forget. We had so much success."Between what our team accomplished, and then what we were able to do in singles and doubles, there are so many great memories. Winning our first match here today was a great way to cap everything off."Allison praised Walmach and White for the job they did taking the program to the next level."It was a great way for Jon Walmach to cap his career and a great jump start for next year's senior season for Jon White," said Allison. "Those two have help put Pleasant Valley tennis on the map."I had so many coaches ask me today where Pleasant Valley is ... and now a lot of the tennis powers around the state know thanks to them. Its pretty neat to be able to say you were among the top eight doubles teams in the entire state - and that's exactly what Jon and Jon can say."They can also say they were part of the sweetest season in Pleasant Valley tennis history.