Loyalsock’s Evan Anderson and Colby Peters dug deep throughout the third set against Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber and Henry Heintzelman. The Lancers’ duo knew they were facing a deficit, but never panicked or worried. They figured if they could play their game, they had a chance to advance to the semifinals.

Both Anderson and Peters were in the District 4 singles semifinals just two days prior, so the pair were hoping to make it another trip, this time as doubles teammates.

While the pair didn’t get in any practice time as doubles partners, they still played like they had been all season.

Lewisburg held a 6-5 lead in the third set before Loyalsock won a game and tied it 6-6, forcing a third-set tiebreaker. To say it was nerve wracking and exciting would be an understatement.

Anderson and Peters played well, but they couldn’t secure the tiebreaking points when needed and unfortunately suffered a tough three-set loss to Swartzentruber and Heintzelman, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) to come up just shy of advancing to Monday’s semifinals.

“I think I can speak for me and Evan that we haven’t had a singles doubles practice and we came out there and we were just having fun,” Peters said. “But we were taking it seriously. Maybe it didn’t turn out the way we expected, but it’s still a good season. I’m still proud.”

“We thought we could go far and maybe we didn’t, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. We both had a good run. Singles is our game,” Peters continued. “It’s not like we’re embarrassed about our doubles performance, it’s just a whole different game. If you’ve only played singles and you go into a doubles field, it’s a big change.”

The District 4 doubles semifinals are all set for Monday afternoon at the Central PA Tennis Center. Lewisburg’s Swartzentruber and Heintzelman will face Danville’s David Sommer and Colin Sauers while Central Columbia’s David Toscano and Sohan Patel have a matchup with Lewisburg’s Will Cecchini and Alexey Rosenberg.

Anderson and Peters led 2-1 in the first set before Lewisburg took a lead, 3-2. Anderson and Peters would win reclaim the lead, 4-3, before going on to secure a victory.

The second set was all Lewisburg as the Green Dragons gained momentum . Lewisburg led 4-1 before the Lancers made it a 5-2 deficit, but Swartzentruber and Heintzelman closed it out for a 6-2 victory to tie it and force the third set.

“We’re not losing this. That’s what we told each other (after the second set). I mean maybe it didn’t turn out that way, but it was still a good match,” Peters said. “We tried to coach each other, which with the limited doubles knowledge we have, we tried to coach each other. Sometimes you know what to do but you can’t execute it.”

In the third set, Loyalsock held a 2-1 lead before the Dragons would go ahead 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4. Lewisburg held a 6-5 lead and Loyalsock won a game to force a tiebreaker.

While Anderson and Peters fought in the third set tiebreaker, they came just shy in the loss and missed advancing.

Peters noted that Swartzentruber and Heintzelman did well placing their shots.

“I’d say their placement was pretty good. I’m going to give it to them. Sure, I wish I didn’t have to compliment them because I just lost to them, but I’ll give them the placements. It was pretty good,” Peters said.

Anderson and Peters were the top seed in the field and advanced out of the second round with a 6-4, 6-1 win against Bloomsburg’s Marc-Alexi Dobbins and Will Keller to reach the third round.

“We almost lost to Bloomsburg No. 1 so we kind of went in there thinking ‘wow,’ being the No. 1 seed it’s like we were surprised with how bad we were playing with doubles, but it was a good time you know?” Peters said.

The Lancers duo were one of two Lycoming County pairs to advance to the quarterfinals. Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas and Gio Catino advanced but lost to Central Columbia’s David Toscano and Sahan Patel in the quarterfinals, 6-0, 6-4.

The Warrior duo beat Selinsgrove’s Joaquin Basu and Andon Kloostra in the first round, 6-3, 6-3, before posting a 6-2, 6-2 win against South Williamsport’s Wyatt Robbins and Lucas Bower in the second round.

In the bottom half of the bracket, Will Cecchini and Alexey Rosenberg made it to the semifinals as well, doing so as the No. 2 seed in the tournament.

The Green Dragon pair cruised past Galeton’s Corbin Basile and David Martin in the second round, 6-0, 6-0. Danville’s Nick Petrick and Nick Hand proved to be a tough foe for the Green Dragons in the quarterfinals.

The Ironmen duo earned a 7-6 (7-2) first-set victory to put the No. 2 seeded doubles team in a hole early.

“Mindset was just we want it more than them. That’s all it was,” Cecchini said after going down in the first set.

After that first-set tiebreaking loss, however, Cecchini and Rosenberg were superb the remainder of the match. In the second set, the Green Dragons won 6-2 to force the third set and cruised to a 6-0 win.

The first-set loss didn’t rattle Cecchini and Rosenberg. The two doubles teams went back-and-forth throughout. The Ironmen led 3-2 and 4-3 before Lewisburg would take the lead, 5-4 and then 6-5. Danville tied it at 6-6 and then came away with the win in tiebreakers.

Danville would cut the deficit to 2-1 and 3-2 in the second set, but the Green Dragons would cruise from there and gained plenty of momentum.

“Oh yeah, we were just snowballing from that victory,” Cecchini said. “The excitement kept building and we just wanted it more and more.”

Cecchini pointed out that the consistency that him and Rosenberg have together is a huge strength on the court against any opponent they face.

“We’re really consistent even though we obviously lost the first set,” Cecchini said. “Just consistent pounding and pounding and breaking them down until basically they fell apart.”

Cecchini and Rosenberg hope to win out and claim a District 4 doubles title and advance to the state tournament in Hershey. Cecchini reached last year’s doubles semifinals with Viktor Vishwakarma as the No. 2 seed.

Lewisburg hasn’t claimed a doubles title since 2018.

“I mean we always wanna go to states, we wanna run it back and go back there,” Cecchini said. “And I don’t know, maybe win? I don’t know if that’s in the realm of possibilities this year, but it’s something you definitely want.”

He’s also glad to see two Lewisburg teams playing in the semifinals.

“That would mean so much. They weren’t expecting a whole lot. They also just want to get to states. That’s all they want,” Cecchini said.

He briefly paused for a second though.

“I mean, Alexey and I won’t let them if they get to the finals, but still,” he said with a laugh.

Jersey Shore’s Ezra Paulhamus and Luke Sarge won their first-round matchup over North Penn-Liberty’s Silas Boiywo and Talon D’Angelo, 6-2, 6-0. The Bulldogs duo would fall to eventual semifinalists Toscano and Patel in the second round, 6-1, 6-0.

DISTRICT 4 DOUBLES TOURNAMENT

FIRST ROUND

Bloomsburg’s Marc-Alexi Dobbins/Will Keller def. Montoursville’s Rian Snyder/Cullen Pauling, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; South Williamsport’s Sawyer/Carson Harris def. Milton’s Preston Reedy/Luke Ossman, 6-3, 6-0; Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber/Henry Heintzelman def. Hughesville’s Joshua Myers/Jake Buck, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3); Selinsgrove’s Lomond Rogers/McAlister DeFazio def. Wellsboro’s Luke Rothermel/Lucas Cuneo, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Danville’s David Sommer/Colin Sauers def. North Penn-Liberty’s Ray Nickerson/Ayden Deitrick, 6-1, 6-1; Towanda’s Bayley Poll/Rian Hennessy def. Muncy’s Michael Howard/Alec Noviello, 6-3, 6-2; Central Columbia’s Ben Kehres/Junior Pauley def. Jersey Shore’s Abram Paulhamus/Saul Hensler, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3;

Central Columbia’s David Toscano/Sohan Patel def. Milton’s Ricky Campos/Adam Kerstetter, 6-0, 6-0; Jersey Shore’s Ezra Paulhamus/Luke Sarge def. North Penn-Liberty’s Silas Boiywo/Talon D’Angelo, 6-2, 6-0; South Williamsport’s Wyatt Robbins/Lucas Bower def. Muncy’s Chase Stabler/Aiden Murphy, 6-0, 6-2; Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas/Gio Catino def. Selinsgrove’s Joaquin Basu/Andon Kloostra, 6-3, 6-3; Danville’s Nick Petrick/Nick Hand def. Loyalsock’s Ian Bower/David Bjorkman, 6-3, 6-0; Wellsboro’s Braeden Abernathy/RJ Doughtie def. Bloomsburg’s Ryan Smith/Colton Roberts, 6-2, 6-2; Galeton’s Corbin Basile/David Martin def. Hughesville’s Brett Whitmoyer/Kevin Bobak, 6-4, 6-4.

SECOND ROUND

Loyalsock’s Evan Anderson/Colby Peters def. Bloomsburg’s Marc-Alexi Dobbins/Will Keller, 6-4, 6-1; Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber/Henry Heintzelman def. South Williamsport’s Sawyer Fry/Carson Harris, 6-1, 6-0; Danville’s David Sommer/Colin Sauers def. Selinsgrove’s Lomond Rodgers/McAlister DeFazio, 6-2, 6-4; Central Columbia’s Ben Kehres/Junior Pauley def. Towanda’s Bayley Poll/Rian Hennessy, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4;

Central Columbia’s David Toscano/Sohan Patel def. Jersey Shore’s Era Paulhamus/Luke Sarge 6-1, 6-0; Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas/Gio Catino def. South Williamsport’s Wyatt Robbins/Lucas Bower, 6-2, 6-2; Danville’s Petrick Hand/Nick Hand def. Wellsboro’s Braeden Abernathy/RJ Doughtie, 6-1, 6-0; Lewisburg’s Will Cecchini/Alexey Rosenberg def. Galeton’s Corbin Basile/David Martin, 6-0, 6-0.

THIRD ROUND

Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber/Henry Heintzelman def. Loyalsock’s Evan Anderson/Colby Peters, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1); Danville’s David Sommer/Colin Sauers def. Central COlumbia’s Ben Kehres/Junior Pauley, 6-4, 6-2; Central Columbia’s David Toscano/Sohan Patel def. Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas/Gio Catino, 6-0, 6-4; Lewisburg’s Will Cecchini/Alexey Rosenberg def. Danville’s Nick Petrick/Nick Hand, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 6-0.

SEMIFINALS

(Monday at Central PA Tennis Center)

Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber/Henry Heintzelman vs. Danville’s David Sommer/Colin Sauers; Central Columbia’s David Toscano/Sohan Patel vs. Lewisburg’s Will Cecchini/Alexey Rosenberg