Long Beach High School teammates Justin Barry, left, and David...

Long Beach High School teammates Justin Barry, left, and David Fuchs react after winning the Nassau County varsity boys' badminton first doubles championship at Bellmore JFK High School. They bested Bellmore JFK's Blake Gutterman and Richie Luxmore 21-12, 17-21, 21-17 to claim the county crown. (Oct. 26, 2012) Credit: James Escher

Of the 11 champions crowned at Friday's Nassau boys badminton individual tournament at Bellmore JFK High School, perhaps no one wanted it more than Long Beach's David Fuchs.

Fuchs, a senior first doubles player, lost his father during his freshman year. After a 21-12, 17-21, 21-17 championship-round victory over Bellmore JFK's Blake Guterman and Richie Luxmore, Fuchs had one thing on his mind.

"I really wish my dad could be here to see this," he said. "I dedicate all my playing to him."

The afternoon featured four doubles brackets and three singles brackets. All winners needed to defeat two opponents in order to be declared champion.

Fuchs said his dad taught him how to play badminton. Now he's passing on those lessons to his teammates. Justin Barry, Fuchs' partner, was moved up to the first doubles line after David Velez switched to first singles at the beginning of the season.

Fuchs and Barry worked hard this season to develop a championship rapport and, when the final point dropped, it couldn't have been sweeter.

"I wish I could put it into words," Fuchs said of winning. "It's the most exhilarating feeling. When that last shuttle drops, everything goes white and it's just pure emotion and happiness."

Great Neck North's Anson Cheung didn't have to wait long to experience that emotion. Cheung, a freshman, was crowned county champion at first singles after beating Jericho's Matt George, 21-17, 21-18.

Happiness wasn't the only feeling Cheung experienced. "It was tiring," Cheung said.

Jericho's Pritak Patel won second singles honors, defeating Long Beach's Velez, 14-21, 21-10, 21-11. Patel's teammate, Ian Hu, won the third singles title, topping Long Beach's Justin Charschan, 21-11, 21-12.

"I felt like I had it the whole way through," Hu said of the match. "It was my intensity that helped me get through [both bracket] opponents."

Long Beach's Brandon Levokove and Bryan Heran won at second doubles, Great Neck South's Angus Yuen and Aiden Lee won third doubles and Long Beach's Josh Ehrlich and Zac Cuddihy won at fourth doubles.

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