The streak is finally over.
The Franklin Regional boys tennis team is back on top of Section 1-3A after finishing second to Gateway the three previous seasons.
The Panthers (8-0, 8-2) defeated Gateway, 3-2, and Norwin, 4-1, to clinch the title.
“We knew coming into the season we had a good chance at winning it this season,” Franklin Regional coach Kevin Fisher said. “We lost 3-2 last year to Gateway and it graduated a couple key players and we returned everyone.
“We got the section back. We had more depth.”
The Panthers are led by junior Collin Stalnaker, who has been a leader.
He finished second in section singles and he and senior Sanshiro Ogawa won the section doubles title. He played No. 1 singles and Ogawa played No. 2.
Senior Prem Nadesan, No. 3 singles, and senior Amesh Paura also competed in the WPIAL doubles championship.
Paura and senior Adarsh Medipalli played doubles and the other doubles team was Akash Arkalgud and Zane Naseem.
“We did not play as well as I expected in the WPIALs,” Fisher said. “But we played well as a team during the season.
“These guys worked hard in the offseason. We are mentally tougher. They are playing well as a group, picking each other up.”
The Panthers blanked Connellsville, Hempfield, Kiski Area, Penn-Trafford and Plum, 5-0. They defeated Latrobe, 3-2.
Their nonsection losses were to Mt. Lebanon, 4-1, and Allderdice, 4-1.
Fisher’s squad has won first-round playoff matches the past three years, defeating Peters Township each season only to fall to powerful North Allegheny.
The WPIAL was scheduled to announce the pairings for the team tournament April 24 and Fisher was hoping for a good seed.
“I would like to see us win a couple matches before facing North Allegheny,” Fisher said. “That’s the goal. We want to go as far as we can.”
Before Fisher took over, the Panthers reached the finals in 2022 only to fall to Shady Side Academy.
Fisher wants to see the program get back to challenging for WPIAL titles.