The St. John’s boys tennis team was as close as you can come to being eliminated from the state tournament as a team can get on Saturday in Danvers. The Eagles and NS were tied 2-2 in their Division 1 opening-round match but No. 1 singles player James Houlden was down 6-5 in the third set and was facing double match point.The senior rallied to win the final four points of that game and then a 7-2 tiebreaker to give the Eagles a dramatic 3-2 win and a trip to No. 1 Concord-Carlisle Tuesday (3:30).Prep coach Mark Metropolis was glad to still be playing.”They were so close to beating us,” Metropolis said. “James just took over in the tiebreaker.”Houlden had dropped the first set of his match, 6-2, before winning the second 6-3. The Eagles’ (14-4) other wins came from Cameron Trosin in second singles (7-6, 6-2) and Chris Trosin-John Corvi in first doubles (6-4, 7-6).Central Catholic 5, Classical 0At Lawrence, in a Division 2 North first-round match, the No. 9-seeded Rams (9-9) ran into a tough foe out of the Merrimack Valley Conference.Ipswich 4, Swampscott 1At Swampscott, in a Division 3 North first-round contest, the Big Blue (12-7) was able to muster a point, but the No. 9 seed from the Cape Ann League was a little too deep for the hosts.Manchester-Essex 5, Saugus 0At Manchester Athletic Club in a Division 3 North first-round match, the Sachems (8-9) couldn’t find the juice against the No. 6 Hornets.Lowell 5, Peabody 0At Peabody in a Division 1 North first-round tilt, the sixth-seeded Tanners (14-3) saw a stellar season come to a screeching halt as the Red Raiders out of the MVC swept them out of the postseason.Concord-Carlisle 5, Revere 0At Concord, in a Division 1 North first-round match, the top-seeded Patriots simply were too much for the visiting Patriots, who finished the season 8-11.Malden Cath. 4, Danvers 1In a Division 2 North first-round match in Malden, the Falcons, seeded 11th, picked up a point, but the Lancers had a little too much firepower up and down the lineup.GIRLS TENNISSwampscott 4, Wilmington 1At Swampscott, in a Division 2 North first-round match, the second seed Big Blue (17-2) earned a date with No. 7 Concord-Carlisle today.Jen Cleary won 6-2, 6-0 in first singles; Kate Hall won 6-0, 6-0 in third singles; Kelsey O’Brian-Rita Tsokanis won 6-2, 6-1 at first doubles and Shannon Toner-Michelle Magdalovich won 6-2, 6-2 in second doubles for the Big Blue.”We are playing very well right now,” Swampscott coach Lenny Polacco said. “We’re looking forward to playing a team with a rich history of tennis.”North Andover 3, Marblehead 2At North Andover, in a Division 2 North first-round match, the Magicians (12-7) suffered three straight-set losses in singles. Mary and Lindsey Ryan won 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 in first doubles and Emma McGuirk-Morgan Mead took a 6-3, 6-3 win in second doubles for Marblehead.Central Cath. 4, Peabody 1At Lawrence, in a Division 1 North first-round match, Alaina Warren gave the Tanners (13-6) their lone point at second singles when her opponent retired in the second set. Kerri-Ann O’Brien-Sarah Aegis played well in a 6-3, 7-5 loss at second doubles.In other action, Bishop Fenwick fell, 5-0, to No. 10 seed Weston in the Division 3 North first round.BOYS LACROSSESt. John’s 18, Lexington 3At Danvers, in a Division 1 East first-round game, the No. 1-seeded Eagles’ (17-2) Jon Jennings had six goals and Garrett Campbell added four goals and two assists to overwhelm the No. 16 seed.”We did what we should have done as a No. 1 seed in the first round,” Prep coach John Roy said. “The defense played very well and the offense was patient and dominated the time of possession.”