Literally and metaphorically, the heat was on Ellen Gilson.
As the thermometer reached close to 90 degrees at the du Pont Tennis Courts at MIT, the phenomenal freshman came up clutch once again for the Manchester Essex girls tennis team in the biggest match of the year, scoring the deciding point in the MIAA Div. 4 State Championship against arch-nemesis Hamilton-Wenham.
“We were up, 2-1, with Ellen playing the end of her second set, so everyone was watching her tiebreaker knowing that if she won it we would win the title,” explains Manchester Essex girls tennis coach Barrett Alston. “Lots of pressure on her and she ended up winning the tiebreaker 7-1.”
The Hornets split their season series with the Generals during regular season play in the Cape Ann League Baker Division this season, perhaps a signal that Manchester Essex could finally flip the script and top Hamilton-Wenham in the postseason. Two years ago, the Generals knocked the Hornets out in the Final Four, and the two teams played in the state final last year with HW winning that match as well. The Generals took home the Div. 4 crown four times in the last four years - but not this year.
“Certainly adds something extra to be against Ham-Wen” says Alston. “It's always a big match against them and it always felt like we'd need to beat them to win it all. They'd won four times in a row, so I think we felt pressure to do what we've done plenty of times in the regular season and beat them in a close, competitive match.”
All three singles players completed an incredible season by scoring the three winning points for Manchester Essex. Between them, Sarah Cort (who won by a 6-1, 6-2 score in the championship), Grace Scarbrough (a 6-2, 6-3 win) and Gilson (a gutsy, 6-2, 7-6 victory) lost only two matches all season long. In those instances where the Hornets needed a boost the doubles teams delivered throughout the season.
While Maeve McArdle and Lila Braier (2-6, 6-2, 7-10) and Annie Kent and Sophia Eagan (0-6, 2-6) weren’t able to score points against Hamilton-Wenham at first and second doubles, respectively, they were a big part of helping the Hornets finally break through this season.
After that, there was nothing left to do but celebrate.
“Such a great feeling to win - we've been close the last three years, and we have just one senior, Grace Scarbrough, so to win this in her last shot at it was extra meaningful,” explains Alston. “The team was incredibly happy, they were singing and dancing on the bus afterwards, the parade around town was awesome.”
While most of the championship-winning team will be back in 2027, Scarbrough will be hard to replace after going a perfect 20-0 and winning the state title in her senior year. That being said, this group is now battle-tested and knows how to win, and will return mostly intact next spring.
But next spring seems very far away right now. Right now, the Hornets have time to celebrate and reflect on an unforgettable season, and yet another chapter in the storied rivalry between the schools.
“I think it's a great rivalry - we call the days we are playing them "Ham Wen days" at school, it's just a little something extra that makes the tennis more intense and exciting,” says Alston. “The girls know each other from off-season tennis as well, plus the towns are obviously close to each other, so it just has all the makings of a proper high school rivalry that I think we both benefit from.”
Jason Brisbois covers all things sports for the Manchester Cricket. Contact him at jason@thecricket.com.
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