By DAVID CUCCHIARA

Washington Daily News

WASHINGTON – Boasting a roster of stylistically diverse underclassmen and one flashy senior, the Washington boys tennis team elevated its play in its debut season in Class 2-A, finishing the regular season undefeated in the Eastern Plains Conference and an overall record of 10-1.

Like the girls soccer team, the Pam Pack seem to have benefitted from the class demotion on paper, but their performance against significantly better competition in the dual team playoffs exposed the team’s youth and told a very different story. After breezing by Reidsville in the tournament opener, 5-1, head coach Miranda Whitley’s team had to face a tough Greene Central squad on the road in the second round. In a battle that came down to the wire, the Pack fell to their opponent, 5-4.

Washington, individually, had five of its athletes – Eric Crozier, Holt McKeithan and Connor Wilkins in singles and Zack Pagnani and the lone senior, Luke Ainsworth, in doubles – qualify for the regionals. But after Crozier lost his first-round match and McKeithan, Ainsworth and Pagnani failed to advance past Round 2, Wilkins was the last hope for the Pam Pack. In the end, the talented junior would be the last singles player left standing in the bracket.

Wilkins breezed through the first two rounds and won a tight match in the semi-final game, 6-3, 6-2. The match was the closest of the season for Wilkins, but in the regional final, he made a statement, defeating his opponent, 6-0, 6-0 and taking home the Eastern Regional Championship.

Last week, Wilkins headed to the Cary Tennis Center for the state championship, where he faced the reigning Class 1-A champion (now playing in 2-A), Hendersonville’s Jacob Fuqua in the first round. The pair ended up being the last on the court, battling through the heat, but Fuqua proved to be too much for a frustrated Wilkins, who dropped 6-2, 6-2.

“There is so much to be learned form the experience and you meet so many nice people,” Wilkins said. “You also get to see some really great tennis.”

Despite the disappointing finish, some of the Pack’s top performers, including Wilkins, Crozier, Pagnani and Holt and Ben McKeithan, are all returning for the 2014-2015 season.

Wilkins, a rising senior, plans to spend his summer building strength, gaining muscle and working on his agility to prepare for his final high school campaign.