By regular-season standards, the implications of a win or a loss were far greater than a typical boys tennis contest.

Matched up on Saturday, May 17, were 9-3 Pelham and 11- 2 Coe-Brown. The winner was likely to host a first-round playoff duel between the two five days later.

“It was huge,” said Pelham coach Lisa Terwillinger. “We wanted that first-round playoff here.”

Even more challenging for the Pythons, they had to board a bus immediately following that contest and head to 9-4 Hollis- Brookline.

It didn’t look good early for the locals.

Pelham’s No. 1, Scott Connatser, and No. 2, Ryan Fyfe, lost their Coe-Brown matches, 8-1 and 8-4, respectively. But No. 3, Brad Shapiro, and No. 4, Dave Pereira, each won tight battles.

Jon Wallace, the Pythons’ No. 5, lost his match, 8-4, but then No. 6, Matt Mercier, won, 8-5, to once again knot the contest and force the winning team to earn two of three doubles victories. Pelham did just that.

Connatser and Shapiro triumphed, 8-4, and Fyfe and Pereira took a 9-7 victory, though Wallace and Mercier lost, 8-5. “Mainly our success comes down to our doubles,” said Terwillinger. “They are so strong that even if we lose a few singles matches, I feel like we’re going to win because we’re so solid there.”

Still, winning three of three doubles matchups is a tall task for any team, and that’s why Mercier has been so important to the team’s success this season, said Terwillinger.

“He came out last year, as a freshman, just trying tennis out, and came back this year as – by far – the most improved player on the team,” she said. “He had to step in this year because of Jon (Wallace)’s injury (and because No. 5 Brady Tryon is out for the season). He’s our No. 7, but has been playing No. 6 and has really come through when we needed him most with some clutch wins in really competitive matches.”

Against Hollis-Brookline, a team that needed to win to reach the postseason, Pelham won, 6- 3.

Connatser rebounded for an 8-6 decision. Shapiro took an 8- 4 match. Mercier again came through with a 8-0 victory.

Though Fyfe, Pereira and Wallace lost, all three doubles teams triumphed, 8-2, 8-4, and 8- 3, respectively.

With the Class I No. 4 playoff seed now secure, Pelham opens postseason action at home on Thursday, May 22, at 4 p.m.

“I’m just happy with where play Coe-Brown again,” said Terwillinger. “It’s not like we played them at the beginning of the season. I mean, we just saw them, and we know what we have to do to beat them. Plus, (Connatser) just had an off day, so obviously being at home, I think that gives us a big advantage.”

Should the Pythons advance, Terwillinger said she’s excited about the opportunity to face undefeated Portsmouth again in the semifinals on Saturday, May 24. The locals lost an April-18 contest against the Clippers, 7-2.

“The last time we played them, Jon Wallace got injured before his match, so they had a default win, and all the other matches were really close,” she said. “So it should be really competitive.”