It was a district championship point, something he had experienced when he and third singles player Saul Hensler captured the district doubles title on Monday. Like Monday, Paulhamus didn’t let the opportunity slip away.

He outlasted Joey Pecora of Central Columbia in a rally of well over 40 shots, forcing an error to clinch the District 4 boys tennis team championship for the Bulldogs against the Blue Jays.

The victory means Jersey Shore has swept all three boys tennis district championships this year after having already won the district singles and doubles tournaments.

It’s the first team title for Jersey Shore.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore team mates pose for a selfie with their head coach after defeating Central Columbia for the district team final at Muncy High School Thursday.

“I was just trying to focus on every shot and get the ball in,” Paulhamus said of his match point. “It felt really good. It felt good that the season was finally over and that we won all three.”

Paulhamus and counterpart Pecora had played a nearly three-hour long match at the district singles tournament less than two weeks ago, with Paulhamus coming away with a narrow victory. This time, in a match that on paper looked like it may be the swing match, Paulhamus played a bit more of a conservative brand of tennis. It led to a straight-set win that wasn’t close on the scoreboard but was close in terms of point-to-point action, 6-2, 6-1.

“I think last time I won the first set, but in the second set I tried to go for more than I should have, and it ended up going three sets,” Paulhamus said. “So this time I was just telling myself to grind out the two sets and finish the match.”

Paulhamus was set up to clinch the win by the work of his singles counterparts. Ryder Fink, the two-time defending district singles champion, kept up his undefeated season with a clinical 6-0, 6-0 win over David Toscano. Fink’s incredible consistency and unwillingness to give in on a single point once again shone through to the tune of a dominant win. His attention quickly turned to watching action on the other four courts.

“I was more nervous watching them than playing myself,” Fink said. “I had faith in them, but it was definitely nerve-wracking. I’m proud of how they played.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore celebrate after defeating Central Columbia for the district team final at Muncy High School Thursday.

While both doubles matches were back-and-forth, attention swung towards the singles courts, with another swing match at third singles between two players in Bulldog Saul Hensler and Central Columbia’s Nathan Lang that came in with only one combined singles loss all year.

It was Hensler that won the big points at the right time, coming back to win the first set and holding off a late charge in the second set from Lang to win 7-5, 6-4.

“I was just trying to be as locked in as possible. I played him in doubles, so that helped me know what his weaknesses were and stuff, and I was just able to focus,” Hensler said.

The domination at singles was all Jersey Shore needed to capture the district championship and pull off an impressive sweep of all three championships.

“It’s sort of surreal. We won singles first, and I didn’t even think we’d win doubles. And now we’re here. It’s just a really great moment for the boys and for us as a team,” Jersey Shore coach Seth Hensler said.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore team mates celebrate after defeating Central Columbia for the district team final at Muncy High School Thursday.

Jersey Shore will host District 3 runner-up Pequea Valley in the first round of the state tournament at the Central PA Tennis Center in South Williamsport on Tuesday at 1 p.m. The winner of that match will advance to Hershey Racquet where the top eight teams will battle it out to crown a state champion next weekend.

“It’s an honor. I think you make it to this point and you’re already excited. They feel like they’ve kind of crested the mountain, but there’s one more step up,” coach Hensler said. “The first round of states, you never really know what you’re going to run into. They’re excited, and they’re going to keep working and show up ready to win.”

Jersey Shore 3 Central Columbia 0

SINGLES

1.Ryder Fink (JS) def. David Toscano (CC) 6-0, 6-0. 2. Ezra Paulhamus (JS) def. Joey Pecora (CC) 6-2, 6-1 3. Saul Hensler (JS) def. Nathan Lang (CC) 7-5, 6-4

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore team mates celebrate after defeating Central Columbia for the district team final at Muncy High School Thursday.

DOUBLES

1. Luke Sarge/Abram Paulhaums (JS) led Aiden Mahamadov/Tanner Fensch 7-6, 4-6 (pulled); 2. Connor Litchfield/Elijah DeCarlo (CC) led Dillon Harsand/Dylan Hensler (JS) 6-2, 2-6, 5-4 (pulled).

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ezra Paulhamus returns a hit from Central Columbia'sJoey Pecora in the #2 match for the district team championship at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore team mates celebrate after defeating Central Columbia for the district team final at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ezra Paulhamus returns a hit from Central Columbia'sJoey Pecora in the #2 match for the district team championship at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette CorrespondentJersey Shore's Ezra Paulhamus returns a hit from Central Columbia'sJoey Pecora in the #2 match for the district team championship at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ryder Fink, left, is congratulated by Central Columbia's Tamer Fensch after Fink won the #1 seed match in the district team final at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Luke Sarge, returns a shot as he and team mate Abram Paulhamus take on Central Columbia in the #1 seed doubles match in the district final at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Abram Paulhamus returns a shot as he and team mate Luke Sarge take on Central Columbia in the #1 seed doubles match in the district final at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Luke Sarge, returns a shot as he and team mate Abram Paulhamus take on Central Columbia in the #1 seed doubles match in the district final at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Luke Sarge, left, and Abram Paulhamus congratulate each other after a point scored in the #1 seed doubles match against Central Columbia's Tamer Fensch and Aiden Mahamadoru in the district final at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ryder Fink returns a hit from Central Columbia's David Toscano in the #1 match for the district team championship at Muncy High School Thursday.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Ryder Fink returns a hit from Central Columbia's David Toscano in the #1 match for the district team championship at Muncy High School Thursday.