Half Hollow Hills’ Kevin Karott wins Suffolk badminton title
Half Hollow Hills boys badminton teammates Kevin Karott and Andre Tan have matched up many times. This time, it was for the Suffolk individual title at Half Hollow Hills East High School.
The top-seeded Karott defeated No. 6 Tan, 11-15, 15-4, 15-9.
“It was stressful,” Karott said. “We always play in practice so it was something familiar.”
Before the match, they wished each other luck.
“We both knew this would happen so we were both content at the end,” said Karott, a senior who lost in the Suffolk final last season.
“It’s been a battle all year with those guys and they’re two great badminton players and unfortunately only one of them could come out on top,” coach Bill Davey said. “They’re both great badminton players and it could be anybody’s game between the two of them, and whoever shows up that day usually is the one that comes out on top.”
In their third year playing together, No. 1 Zach Cohen and Leo Wild of Half Hollow Hills won the doubles championship, 11-15, 15-12, 15-13, over No. 2 Smithtown East’s Alex Zampieron and Joe Hergott.
“Every rally they had a lot of shots, so we just tried to stick it out and hit our best shots,” Wild said.
The duo lost the opening game, but maintained a competitive mentality.
“Play your heart out so that we can win,” Cohen said.
Karott along with Cohen and Wild, are 20-0 this season.
Top-seeded Half Hollow Hills will face No. 5 Whitman in the Suffolk boys team championship at 2 p.m. on Thursday at Half Hollow Hills East.
