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HS TENNIS: Abington Heights, Scranton Prep set for showdown

It is the marquee rivalry in Lackawanna League boys tennis.

On Monday, Scranton Prep plays at Abington Heights with first place in the standings on the line at 4 p.m. The two power programs are undefeated heading into the annual showdown.

Abington Heights (5-0) dominated league competition since the spring sports shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Comets won 44 straight matches in the league and have a record of 54-1. That one loss came against Scranton Prep, 3-2, in 2021.

The Comets have 11 straight District 2 Class 3A championships.

Scranton Prep (6-0) has a league record of 50-6 and won a title in 2021. The Cavaliers are the defending District 2 Class 2A champions.

The team matchup will feature the top singles players going head-to-head.

Abington Heights’ group includes Praneel Mallaiah, William Arp and Domenic Peters. All three were All-Region selections last season and are unbeaten this spring.

Mallaiah has a career record of 61-6 at No. 1 singles and is the defending Times-Tribune Player of the Year.

Arp is 19-3 overall in his first two seasons, and Peters is 17-1 in the last two years.

Scranton Prep counters with Akhilesh Velaga, a three-time All-Region selection who has a career record of 51-7.

Tony Nguyen and Matthew Cohen have played at No. 2 and No. 3 singles and each has a record of 6-0.

Abington Heights is also a deep team with a No. 1 doubles pairing of Brady Comstock and Liam Farrell that reached the District 2 Class 3A final last season.

Scranton Prep has doubles teams of Jackson Keating and Kyle O’Malley and Nathan Woelkers and Kyle Costello.

Abington Heights also leads the District 2 Class 3A power rating standings, ahead of Crestwood. Wyoming Seminary leads Scranton Prep in the District 2 Class 2A power ratings.

District 2 schedule

Mike Ognosky, the District 2 boys tennis tournament director, released the postseason schedule.

The team tournament starts May 2 with quarterfinal matches at the site of the higher-seeded teams. Semifinals and finals are May 6. The Class 3A semifinals are at 11:30 a.m., and the Class 2A semifinals are at 1 p.m. with the finals to follow at Kirby Park.

The PIAA Team Championships start with first-round matches May 12. Teams that advance will play May 16-17 at Hershey Racquet Club.

Seeding for the District 2 Singles Championships will be held May 6 at 7 p.m. at Dunmore High School.

The first three rounds of the championships are May 8, starting at 9 a.m. The Class 3A matches are at Wilkes University, and the Class 2A competition will be at Kirby Park. The semifinals and finals are May 9, starting at 1 p.m. at Kirby Park.

The District 2 Doubles Championships are May 14, starting at 9 a.m. with Class 3A at Wilkes University and Class 2A at Kirby Park. The semifinals and finals are May 15 at 1 p.m. at Kirby Park.

The PIAA Championships are May 23-24 at the Hershey Racquet Club.

Times-Tribune Top 5 teams

1. Abington Heights (5-0)

2. Scranton Prep (6-0)

3. Holy Cross (4-1)

4. North Pocono (3-2)

5. Honesdale (4-2)

Times-Tribune Top 8 singles

1. Praneel Mallaiah, Abington Heights (5-0)

2. Akhilesh Velaga, Scranton Prep (5-0)

3. William Arp, Abington Heights (5-0)

4. Domenic Peters, Abington Heights (5-0)