The third-ranked Pythons fell by a razor-thin 9-8 margin in a 9-7 tiebreaker during the deciding No. 1 doubles match of the Class I semifinal, losing a heartbreaking 5-4 outcome on Saturday, May 30, to second-seeded Souhegan.

Pelham put itself in position to clinch a spot in the state championship match, needing a lone doubles win after Ethan Ely polished off the final match of singles play with a win at No. 6, giving the Pythons a 4-2 advantage. Souhegan first won at No. 3 doubles, knocking off Matt Mercier and Ely, 9-7, to climb within 4-3.

Next to fall for Pelham was the previously undefeated freshmen duo of Jared Taylor and Matt Smith, leaving the collective eyes of the crowd at Jasper Valley squarely on the battle unfolding before them on court one.

With the team score knotted at 4-4, Ryan Fyfe and Brad Shapiro lost a 6-3 lead before bouncing back to grab a 7- 6 advantage, but the Sabers forced a tiebreaker that also went the distance.

Needing to score seven points to win the tiebreaker and the match, the Pythons took the lead at 2-0 and 3- 2 and subsequently tied the score at five, six and seven before Souhegan won backto- back points to complete its comeback and advance.

Head coach Lisa Terwilliger loses just one member of the regular rotation to graduation, and she said the youth of her team may have shown during the match with Souhegan.

“Last time we played them we only won one singles match and won two of the doubles,” she said. “Then to come out today and not be able to win any of the doubles matches, it was a little bit upsetting.”

Freshman Jared Taylor continued his impressive first year of varsity tennis with an 8-2 win at No. 1, while Shapiro and Mercier came away with victories at No. 3 and No. 5, respectively.

Shapiro, the lone senior on the ladder this year, posted an 8-3 win in his final singles match.

Still, with the group’s deep and talented core, Terwilliger knows this was likely not the Pythons’ only crack at a Class I tennis championship.

“We’re a very young team,” she said. “We have a few more years to get it, and hopefully we will.”