What could turn out to be the best season for Livingston high school’s boys tennis team in more than 30 years has already shaped up to be one of the better campaigns less than a month in.
Livingston opened up 12-0 and won all three tournaments its entered so far -- its own Lancer Tennis Showdown, the Bryan Bennett Memorial Tournament and the Essex County Tournament -- against many of the best teams in the state.
Third-singles player Varun Dyapa delivered the latest of the Lancers three titles when he clinched a 4-1 victory for Livingston, the top seed, over second-seeded Millburn in the final of the ECT at Althea Gibson Tennis Center in Newark on Sunday.
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Second-doubles tandem Spencer Luster and Kevin Sun won their match minutes before Dyapa. Second-singles player Brandon Goldstein was first off the courts for Livingston, which clinched what could have been a hotly contested match at 3-0.
“This is one of the best lineups we’ve ever had,” 38th-year coach Elliot Lovi said. “We’re a very complete team with solid players at all five positions. We can realistically compete at all five spots. But we have to prove it on the court.”
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So far Lovi’s team has.
Goldstein provided the clinching point in last week’s 3-2 victory over Morris Knolls in the final of the Bryan Bennett at Delbarton in Morristown. It was Livingston’s first title at the event since 1997. Livingston won its second consecutive crown at the Lancer Tennis Showdown on April 2 by first knocking off Watchung Hills and then Pascack Hills.
With all but one starter back from last spring’s 29-4 team, the Lancers were touted by many as the favorite to win the Tournament of Champions title this season. Livingston last won the overall state title, the equivalent to today’s T of C, in 1977.
Livingston was expected to have one of the state’s best one-two combinations with junior Thomas Caputo at first singles and Goldstein, a senior, at the second spot. Both played the same positions last spring, when Caputo finished as a semifinalist in the state singles tournament and Goldstein reached the quarterfinal round. Caputo won the T of C as a freshman while playing second singles for Newark Academy before transferring to Livingston two summers ago.
“It’s one of the best one-two punches we’ve ever had,” Lovi said. “We really have two first singles players.”
Dyapa, who missed the beginning part of last season, returned to third singles. Jesse Bloom, in his third year at first doubles, was joined by senior Matt Wolff, who was a singles alternate in his sophomore year before sitting out last season due to a wrist fracture. Sun and Luster returned to the second-doubles position.
