The Irish Netters capped off another historic season with a postseason run all the way to Semi-State, making it to the final four for the second straight season, showcasing the talent and bright future of the program. While certainly not the ending the Netters wanted, one can only look at the season as a successful one.
The Netters were led by a strong group of seniors who with their experience were able to lead the team to postseason success. One of those senior Chris Wojtalik 26’ played for varsity all four years at Cathedral. He noted the seniors were massive to the teams success.
“The seniors really stepped up this season through their work ethic and leadership. We had four captains which was the most we’ve ever had which allowed for the underclassmen to relate to different leaders and not just one. Our seniors really set a good example for the team. We made sure the team was on the same page throughout the season which is extremely important to reach our goals,” said Wojtalik.
The season for the boys was filled with success as the boys ran through a city and sectional championship and finally the crown jewel of a regional championship against North Central.
Assistant Coach Cole Hepp said, “Yeah, I think this season was a great success, and a success for a few reasons, a success on the scoreboard of winning sectionals and regionals. And we had that goal at the beginning of the season to make it to semi state, and we, unfortunately, lost to Columbus North, again. We lost to them last year, but it was a very close match, and I think on the court and off the court, the team came together very well with strong senior leaders, in a way where I do think they left it all on the court in that semi state match against Columbus North.”
Unfortunately, the season came to a heartbreaking end with a 3-2 loss to #23 Columbus North in a tough semi-state match. There is certainly no shame in a close loss like that and the Netters are holding their heads high.
Wojtalik said, “The ending to our season was something I’ll never forget. Our team battled through adversity on a high level. It was hard for our team to focus on what we can do individually. Both the Langfelts stepped up when we needed them to and I’m happy we put up a good fight.”
Cathedral will graduate a large senior class that helped lay the foundation for what the boys tennis program can be in the next couple of years. While they will be missed, the future is very bright for the Netters.
Coach Hepp said, “This year we had our goal to make it to semi-state and we accomplished that now for the second year in a row. Obviously we’ll miss this senior heavy class, but I think we’ve seen what we can do and I’m really looking forward to see how our program continues to grow in the future.”
