BY RYAN O’CONNOR They finally made it to the altar. All that was left was a lift of the veil for a ceremonial kiss. In this case, the altar was the Class L boys tennis title match, and the kiss was the finishing touch on an undefeated season. The grooms were, of course, the Blue Devils of Salem. And they left no doubt who the ...

BY RYAN O’CONNOR Prior to the season, Curt Killion modestly said if certain pieces fell into place his team had a small shot at the playoffs. Two weeks and six contests in, the Salem girls tennis coach said the squad had to win every tight matchup remaining to accomplish the goal. In the season’s final week, he smiled, ...

BY RYAN O’CONNOR The Blue Devils may have put a thorough thrashing on his squad, but Central coach Mark Telge couldn’t be happier for those on the opposite side of the tennis court. Following an 8-1 Salem victory in the state semifinals on Saturday, May 24, Telge spoke openly about Salem’s chances to win a championship ...

BY RYAN O’CONNOR Michael Jolicoeur didn’t blink. When asked if revenge was on his Salem boys tennis team’s mind when it locked up with Central this season, the answer was a resounding “yes.” In 2007, Salem entered the same contest with one loss and fell to the Little Green. “Last year, they came ...

BY MATT STOUT Mike Jolicoeur said throughout this season he believes his Salem boys tennis team is a year away from being a true contender in Class L. Boy, what a way to spend the year getting there. Despite dropping an 8-1 decision to No. 2 Manchester West in the state tournament semifinals on Saturday, May 26, the third-seeded Blue Devils ...

BY SAPNA PATHAK If it were up to him, Curt Killion’s team would have a better record. If he had his way, his squad would spend practices talking strategy for the postseason instead of thinking about next year. But after losing four of his top six players, Killion doesn’t have those luxuries. With their final match on Wednesday, ...

BY MATT STOUT What was uncertainty has become excitement. What were modest expectations have grown into sizable goals. And what was a relatively inexperienced Salem boys tennis team hoping to “win some,” said No. 1 singles player Jeff Bunker, is one that is winning – a lot. In fact, Salem leads Class L in wins. For a team ...

BY MATT STOUT It’s a Sunday afternoon in late January, and Colleen and Bob Nagri plan to eventually settle in for the night to catch the New England Patriots’ playoff showdown with the Indianapolis Colts. Their Dodge Durango – its back windshield plastered with eight metallic silhouettes of different athletes, representing the ...