Submitted Photo In a rematch of last year’s final, Warren faced off against McDowell in the District 10 AAA Team Championship on Monday.

ERIE — In a rematch of last year’s final, Warren faced off against McDowell in the District 10 AAA Team Championship on Monday.

Despite a much-improved performance, the Dragons fell 4-1 in a competitive match that came down to decisive third sets in both second singles and second doubles.

“We came into this match as massive underdogs,” said Warren head coach Thomas Pellegrino. “McDowell beat us 5-0 during the regular season, and we didn’t even win a set. For our boys to compete like they did today and put themselves in a position to win shows the sheer will and determination this group has.”

At first singles, Lucas Thrift took on District 10 singles champion David Mikotowicz, falling 6-3, 6-0. Despite the linescore, Thrift showed resilience, battling back from a 3-0 deficit in the first set to even it at 3-3. His effort helped energize his teammates and set the tone for the match.

The second match to conclude was first doubles, where McDowell’s Gridley Wright and Noah Hardesty defeated Gaven Mealy and Karson McCollough, 6-1, 6-1.

Jaxon Thrift put Warren on the board with a strong performance at third singles, defeating McDowell’s Daniel Idzik 6-4, 6-2.

“Thrift controlled the match from start to finish, delivering one of his best performances of the season,” added Pellegrino.

With the overall score at 2-1 in favor of McDowell, both second singles and second doubles moved into third sets with the championship on the line.

At second singles, Gabe Dougherty dropped the first set 2-6, but battled back to take the second set 6-4, using aggressive net play and powerful groundstrokes. In the deciding set, however, McDowell regained composure and pulled away for a 6-1 victory, clinching the team title.

Second doubles provided another thrilling contest. Warren’s pair of Bill Bennett and Tobiah Reinard opened with high energy, taking the first set 6-3. McDowell responded by changing the pace to win the second set 6-2. In the deciding set, McDowell jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but the Dragons rallied to even the score at 4-4. After a back-and-forth battle, McDowell was able to break Warren’s serve and secured the match with a 7-5 win.

“We could not be more proud of the battle our boys put on today and the season they accomplished. For a team from a small town like Warren to continue to be a dominant force in District 10 tennis, competing against schools with rosters full of private-lesson players, speaks for itself. These multi-sport athletes put on a show today and have had a season to be very proud of,” Pellegrino said.

Warren finishes the season with a 13-3 record, capturing the Tri-County Championship and earning a spot as District 10 runner-up for the second consecutive year.

Warren returned to action Tuesday in the District 10 AAA Doubles Championships at Westwood Racquet Club in Erie.