Syosset looks to break Cold Spring Harbor's tennis grip
Dylan Granat of Syosset prepares to serve in the second round of the NYSPHSAA boys tennis individual championships doubles tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing on Friday, May 30, 2014. Credit: Steven Ryan
Cold Spring Harbor has been the class of Nassau tennis for the last seven years and has knocked off Syosset in the last two county finals.
But ask Dylan Granat and Daniel Shleimovich, the leaders and top two singles players for a young Syosset team that enters this year's final against the Seahwaks on Tuesday at Garden City at 14-0 and they'll tell you this is the year the Braves can end the streak.
"We kind of want Cold Spring Harbor -- we've been talking about them all year long," Shleimovich said. "I actually think this year is our best shot out of the last three because we have a lot of pieces that are coming together late in the season. I feel we'll give them a good run for their money."
Shleimovich and Granat lead by example. Shleimovich, a two-time county quarterfinalist, and Granat, a state qualifier as a doubles player, haven't lost a match this season.
Granat also thinks this will be the year the Braves emerge on top.
"We have a lot of talent and our doubles teams are very young," Granat said. "Sometimes that can be an advantage because younger players take things more serious playing at the bottom of the lineup than the juniors and seniors."
They both know that no matter how well they play, it'll take a team effort to knock off the Seahawks (13-0), who are led by first singles Sean Mullins.
"It's awesome being captain my senior year," Granat said. "These guys look up to me. The other day I got a text from one of the freshman telling me I'm his role model. I'm there for them on the court and off and I try to take them under my wing."
Gene Morris joined Newsday's sports department in September 2012 and covers high school sports. He earned a journalism degree from Stony Brook University in 2010.
