FAIRVIEW — The Warren boys tennis team couldn’t have asked for a better start to its season Monday, sweeping longtime rival Fairview 5-0 in a decisive Region 2 matchup.

After weeks of weather delays due to rain and snow, Warren finally took the court and made the most of the opportunity.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off the year than this,” said head coach Thomas Pellegrino. “The boys were just excited to finally get a match in, and they really came out ready to compete.”

Despite entering the season with a relatively young lineup featuring four new varsity starters and two sophomores making their singles debuts, Warren showed poise and confidence throughout the match, especially in a challenging road environment.

“Playing at Fairview is always tough, especially for a first match,” Pellegrino said. “But I’m super proud of how our guys handled it.”

The highlight of the day came at first singles where Lucas Thrift delivered a standout performance against one of the district’s top players. After dropping the first set 3-6, Thrift rallied to win 7-5, then edged out a thrilling 10-8 victory in the deciding super tiebreak.

“Lucas really set the tone for us. That was one of the best matches I’ve seen him play, big serves, great net play, and he was ripping his forehand,” Pellegrino said. “He showed a lot of heart coming back from a set down.”

Warren’s singles lineup remained strong across the board. Gabe Dougherty earned a straight-sets win at second singles 6-2, 6-3, while Jaxon Thrift controlled his match at third singles, winning 6-1, 6-4.

In doubles play, early nerves were evident, but Warren’s teams quickly settled in and took control.

At first doubles, Gaven Mealy and Karson McCollough battled through a tight opening set, winning in a tiebreak 7-5 before cruising to a 6-2 second-set victory. The second doubles team of Bill Bennett and Tobiah Reinard also rebounded from a slow start to secure a 6-4, 6-3 win.

“Our doubles teams had some nerves early in the match. They got down early but stayed calm, turned things around, and finished strong in straight sets,” Pellegrino said. “This was a complete team effort and a showcase of the work these boys put in during the offseason. What a great way to start the year.”

The Dragons look to keep the momentum going Tuesday as they travel to Bradford to take on the Owls for a 5 p.m. start at University of Pittsburgh-Bradford.

Lucas Thrift (W) d. Ayush Bharath 3-6, 7-5, 10-8; Gabe Dougherty (W) d. Tegan Rucks 6-2, 6-3; Jaxon Thrift (W) d. Ryder Harvey 6-1, 6-4; Gaven Mealy-Karson McCollough (W) d. Simon Biggs-Greg Bagnoni 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Bill Bennett-Tobiah Reinard (W) d. Caleb Nallaraja-Pranay Golla 6-4, 6-3