The third-seeded East Providence High School boys' tennis team breezed by visiting and sixth-seeded Prout in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 Division II championship tournament Friday, May 24.

The locals dispatched the Crusaders by a 4-0 score at the Townie Tennis Center, improving to 12-2 overall, but most importantly advancing to the tourney semis Tuesday, May 28.

The Townies will face reigning league champion and second-seeded North Kingstown, 4-0 winners over Chariho in its quarter Wednesday, May 22.

The quarterfinal meeting with Prout mirrored the teams' regular season encounter won by East Providence 6-1 on April 25.

James McShane's 6-4, 6-3 win over Rocco Grasso at first singles was the deciding point last Friday. John Vaughan quickly earned the first point for the locals with a 3-and-3 over Lawson Graybill at third singles.

In between, the Townies' No. 2 doubles tandem of Justin Petion and Brayden Rouette were 1-and-4 winners over Prout's Jack Paiva and Ben Slitt to put the locals up 2-0 at the time.

Shortly thereafter Jaydon Amaral's serve-and-volley game propelled him to a 6-1, 7-5 win at fourth singles for EPHS, giving the Townies a 3-0 lead.

East Providence's No. 1 duo of Nathan Thurber-Jordan O'Hara was also up a set (7-6, 9-8 in a tiebreaker) and leading in the second when its outing ended with the overall match decided.

Abigail Ellison's contest at No. 2 singles was in the second set and the outing of the No. 3 doubles team of Joe Kramer and Jaydon Massa had barely started when the McShane clinched the winning point.

For Petion, the win over the Prout tandem was his third against the Crusaders' pairing this spring. He and Rouette beat Paiva and Slitt in the D-II doubles tourney. Petion and Joseph Kramer teamed to beat them 2-and-4 in the aforementioned April 25 regular season encounter.

"We beat them previously during the regular season, so I was going in there confident," Petion, a senior, said of his match with Rouette against Prout Friday. "Specifically for us two, we beat them in the doubles tournament so we felt good about the match. I knew they were both good, they could get the ball back, but I figured we would win in the end. They gave us a run for our money in the second set, but we got it done."

A month earlier, McShane (1-and-0) and Rouette (4-and-4) won their regular season matches against Prout in straights at singles. Vaughan (6-3) needed three sets to win at No. 2. Amaral lost his outing at three, 3-6 in the third.

O'Hara and Thurber went the distance at first doubles, winning 6-2 in the third while Massa and Steel Martin also needed three sets, 6-2 in the third, to earn their win.

Looking ahead to the semis, one of East Providence's only two losses to date came to North Kingstown, 4-1, back in the opening week of the regular season.

McShane accounted for the lone point with his win at first singles. The six other matches were relatively close. Two of those, Vaughan at third singles and Massa-Martin at third dubs, didn't finish due to darkness.

"I'm feeling very confident. I played with Joseph against them during the regular season and we went three sets," Petion said of meeting North Kingstown next, while reflecting on his match against the Skippers on April 11. "And now I'm also feeling very good with Brayden. I think we can pull it off. We beat EG (No. 1 doubles team of Rajeev Sen and Ravi Vishnu, 3-and-3) and EG beat NK, so I feel like we can do something also."

The pairing of Petion and Rouette has a been a smash hit for the Townies, improving  their already superb doubles group even more. Since Rouette, also a senior, returned midseason from an arm injury suffered during the winter, he and Petion have gone 10-1, including a win and a loss in the league doubles event.

"It's been great playing with Brayden. He gives me like a fresh sense of security, confidence," Petion said of Rouette. "I know he's going to get the ball back. He's great at the net. So it's great knowing I can rely on myself and also my partner. I know my teammate will do his job too."

The semifinal appearance is already a step farther for the Townies compared to last postseason when fourth-seeded EPHS was beaten by fifth-seeded Tiverton in a mild upset in the quarters.

"Our guys were ready to go out and compete. Everyone wanted to be the first one off the court. They’re playing for each other. You can see it in everything they do," EPHS head coach Slade Sharma said of the Townies' performance against Prout.

"We want to raise another banner," he added, referencing the Townies' Division III title in 2022. "We know this is our last chance with this core group. If we fall short, it won’t be because of a lack of effort."