Tennis pairings: Lynnfield girls look to take it a step further

Some things never get old, and that includes winning.The Lynnfield High girls tennis team has reached the North finals for the last three years, and for the seniors who were freshmen when the Pioneers last won the sectionals, doing it again on their way out the door wouldn’t be a bad way to go.Although the Pioneers have been stymied in their attempts to win the North the past two years, one impediment to that goal is gone. Lynnfield played in Division 2 the previous three years, but the MIAA added a third division this year, and Lynnfield is now in Division 3.Winchester, the team that has knocked the Pioneers out of the tournament in the North finals the last two years, is still in Division 2, so a rematch isn’t in the cards.”It was a great rivalry,” Lynnfield coach Craig Stone said. “”We had our chances. They (Winchester) traditionally put out a real strong team, top to bottom.”This year, the Pioneers, the top seed at 17-0, will still have some tough teams to contend with, including undefeated Austin Prep and perennial Cape Ann League nemesis Manchester-Essex.”Manchester-Essex is always a 3-2 match and Weston is up from the Dual County League. They’ll have a strong program,” Stone said, adding that Weston faces tough schools like Acton-Boxborough, Concord-Carlisle and Westford Academy on a regular basis.Lynnfield will open Monday at home (3:30) against the winner of Pope John/Bedford.Division 3 North also includes St. Mary’s, the No. 5 seed with a 12-6 record, and Bishop Fenwick, the No. 7 seed at 10-8. The Spartans will be looking for the program’s first tournament win when they play Nazareth Monday at 3:30 p.m. at Nazareth’s home court. Fenwick gets going on Saturday when it tackles Weston at noon at Fenwick.In Division 2 North, Swampscott (16-2) is the No. 2 seed behind Winchester. The Big Blue will be home Saturday against Wilmington (noon) in a first-round game. Fellow Northeastern Conference foe Marblehead, the No. 9 seed at 12-6, travels to North Andover Saturday at 3 p.m. and Danvers plays at Concord-Carlisle at noon Saturday. Beverly is home against Triton (noon), also on Saturday.In Division 1 North, Peabody, the No. 11 seed at 13-5, travels to Central Catholic Saturday for a noon game and Revere, the No. 17 seed, plays Friday in a preliminary round match at Haverhill (3:30).BOYS TENNISMarblehead gets the honor of being the highest-seeded local team. The Magicians (18-1) are the top seed in Division 2 North and for their troubles, they’ll get to play the winner of Classical-Central Catholic Monday at home (3:30).The Rams, the No. 9 seed with a 9-8 record, jump right into the fire Friday when they travel to Central Catholic (3:30). Classical qualified last year, but lost to Reading in a preliminary-round match.In Division 3, No. 8 seed Swampscott (12-6) will play Ipswich at home Friday (3) and No. 11 seed Saugus (8-8) takes on Manchester-Essex Saturday on the road (1). Hamilton-Wenham (13-2) is the No. 1 seed in the division.Three local teams will try to make some noise in Division 1, including Peabody (14-2), the No. 6 seed. The Tanners will be home Friday against Lowell (3:30). St. John’s Prep, under coach Mark Metropolis, who notched his 300th career coaching win this season, will face Newton South at home on Friday (3:30). If this matchup brings back bad memories, it’s because Newton South bounced the Eagles from the tournament in the first round last year. Revere (8-10) is the No. 16 seed. The Patriots have a mountain to climb Friday when they play undefeated Concord-Carlisle, the No. 1 seed.