DeWitt Clinton’s men’s tennis team finished its season undefeated on May 1.

Going into their final match against arch rival Christopher Columbus High School (9-1 going into the match), Clinton’s players gave some credit to the high school varsity gods, who gave the players an unseasonably windy and cold afternoon that warranted wearing their brand new varsity sweatshirts while they played.

Shawn Kalicharan, who along with Syed Habib, won his doubles match 10-0, said they had hoped that the sweatshirts would help intimidate their opponents.

With the undefeated season on the line, Milton Bilthorn, Clinton’s first singles player, found himself down 9-5, but he rallied back and grabbed the victory from Columbus with an 11-9 victory.

After celebrating the undefeated season with his teammates, Bilthorn acknowledged that while he was playing, his team’s perfect season was on his mind.

“I wanted to send a message heading into the playoffs,” Bilthorn said. “I want everybody to fear us.”

In the playoffs, the team got a bye for the first round and won the second round match with ease, 4-1, against Sheepshead Bay High School. At press time, the team was preparing to play its third round match on May 13.  

Tennis Playoff Update:

Clinton’s season ended on Tuesday night after they lost a hard-fought quarterfinal match to Manhattan Center for Science Math. They finished the season 11-1.