Jefferson snaps Curtis' win streak

By CASEY OLSON

Sports editor

The Thomas Jefferson Raiders took command of the South Puget Sound League South Division Monday with a 3-2 win over the previously unbeaten Curtis Vikings.

The win improves Jefferson to a perfect 9-0 on the season and vaults them into the second half of the SPSL South season. Curtis won last year’s South title with a perfect 14-0 record and had won their first seven matches this season. The Raiders won the SPSL South regular season championship in 2001.

The big match Monday came on the No. 2 doubles court. Jefferson’s Zach Bunting and Colin Okazaki downed Curtis’ Tom Brandt and Casey Harwood in three sets, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. Both pairs entered the match with undefeated records.

Bunting and Okazaki won the final six games of the first set after falling behind 5-1. They also came back from another 5-1 deficit in the second set, getting to 5-5 before Brandt and Harwood won the set.

“Not surprisingly the match went three sets where the huge serving of Colin Okazaki made the difference,” said TJ coach Andrew Buchan.

John Poore and Zack Argyle got another big win for the Raiders at No. 3 doubles. They downed Kyle Cherrick and David Kim, 6-3, 7-5. Cherrick and Kim came in with a 6-0 record.

Kenny Fritschy provided the other point by taking No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-1.

The Raiders extended their SPSL South record to 9-0 with a 4-1 victory over the winless Todd Beamer Titans Wednesday.

Jewel Sharpe beat Colin Zalewski, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 1 singles, Todd Shultz and Fritschy downed Mike Yellam and Aaron Eichman, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 1 doubles, Erik Eskesen and Tyler Engstom beat Dustin Martin and Francisco Torres, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 2 doubles and Chris Yoon and Jintae Wohn beat Lucas Hansen and Kyung Park at No. 3 doubles.

Beamer’s lone victory came from Ryan Bellessa at No. 2 singles. He downed Matt Davidson, 7-5, 6-2.

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