The Pelham High School boys tennis team tweaked the old argument – the end justifies the means – in 2008. This was a team that proved sometimes the end just defies the means.

Yes, unbeaten state champ Hanover concluded the Pythons’ season with a quick 9-0 defeat in the Class I state semifinals on Saturday, May 24. But Pelham reached that point by disposing of Coe- Brown in the quarterfinals, 5-2.

The relatively lopsided victory on Thursday, May 22, came less than one week after the locals edged the Black Bears May 17 by the narrowest of margins – 5-4 – to lock up the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, push Coe-Brown to No. 5 and thereby host the postseason rematch.

That tenacity, the desire to improve and the will to battle, endeared the Pelham players to their head coach, Lisa Terwilliger.

“The seniors were like, ‘You know guys, this is our time to shine,” said the third-year coach. “And I think they really enjoyed the pressure.”

Scott Connatser and Ryan Fyfe, the team’s No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, respectively, dropped their matches in the first meeting with Coe-Brown. In the tournament, though, each won, as did Brian Shapiro at No. 3 and David Pereira at No. 4.

Though Jon Wallace and Matt Mercier dropped their matches at No. 5 and No. 6, the Pythons still took a commanding lead into doubles play.

Once there, Fyfe and Pereira ended the overall match, taking a convincing 8-3 decision over foes they handled by a slim 9-7 margin just five days earlier.

Terwilliger, who starred at Castleton State College in Vermont, praised co-captains Connatser and Pereira, as well as Wallace, for their exemplary approach to the sport.

Wallace played at less than full strength at No. 5 singles after suffering an injury during the team’s match with Portsmouth earlier in the year.

Pereira, said the coach, is a well-rounded, outspoken, funloving leader.

And Connatser was more than the team’s top player.

“Scott has been like an assistant coach to me,” said Terwilliger. “He’s the most unselfish person who’s willing to help the team in any way.”

Pelham finished with a 12- 4 record, including 11-3 in the regular season. The team’s losses were to unbeaten and second-ranked Portsmouth, 7-2; third-ranked and twice beaten Con- Val, 5-4; and Hanover by shutout in early May.

Even against Hanover, Pelham showed vast improvement.

Terwilliger said the locals took just nine games total in that May 7 meeting. In the state semifinals little more than two weeks later, Pereira alone won 12 games – four in his singles match and eight more while teaming with Fyfe and pushing their doubles opponents to a tiebreaker.

Pelham returns Fyfe and Mercier as juniors, and Terwilliger said she’s already talked with the soon-to-be-senior Shapiro about embracing team leadership.

In addition, the coach said a few talented eighth-graders should have an immediate impact on the program.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to miss this group of seniors so much – the kids on my team are so wonderful,” said Terwilliger. “But I’m definitely looking forward to next year, too.”