Astilean Scores Second Straight Division IV Championship Crown

Max Astilean has once again dominated the Division IV singles bracket as part of the East Hampton tennis team.

And while the East Hampton senior locked down back-to-back championship titles Monday at William Floyd High School, this one was not as enjoyable to secure as the last. That’s because Astilean had to best teammate Nick Cooper, 7-5, 6-2, to take the win.

“I didn’t like it,” Astilean said. “I wish I could have played someone else, but Nick played great the entire match, and it feels good to get back here.”

Head coach Kevin McConville said his senior has built himself into a dangerous player. Astilean topped Southold’s Brendan Kilcommons, 6-2, 6-0, and earned a 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 win over Westhampton Beach’s Theo Grellet-Aumont to make it to the semifinals, where he beat Ross’s Ty Gelyjns, 6-1, 6-2.

“He does absolutely everything to be as multi-faceted a player as possible,” the coach said. “He has many offensive weapons — he comes to the net at every opportunity, he serves and volleys and comes in on any short serve with his aggressive return of serve, and he comes in on every short ball in rallies. He’s not a one-trick pony, and it takes many years to develop that all-court game that’s so fun to watch.”

Astilean and Cooper kept the first set close as the pair adjusted to the windy conditions.

“The first set was tough, but my forehand got me through,” Astilean said. “I was hesitant to come to the net, but I felt the ball more in the second and I got a little more used to the wind, which helped me with my strokes.”

Cooper said he was proud of how he played through the conditions, though noting he made a few footwork errors.

“Max did a great job of moving me around, and took advantage of my short balls,” the junior said. “When playing a great player like Max, I need to make sure to keep the ball deep and work angle shots. I made a few unforced errors, and he hit a few great shots at key points in the second set and it got away from me. I’m really proud of how far my game has come in the past year.”

Cooper took out Mattituck’s Phoenix Samolewski, 6-0, 6-1, before beating Ross’s Gabriel De La Maza, 7-6 (10-8), 6-2, in the quarterfinals. He edged Ross’s Teddy Brodlieb, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, to advance to the finals.

“That was the best level I’ve seen Nick play. He was excellent from start to finish,” McConville said. “He and Max are peaking at exactly the right time. I’ve watched them play each other so many times over the years in junior tournaments, and I could not be prouder of their development.”

The pair have also challenged each other in practice several times across the season, with Cooper taking one from his friend earlier this month. Cooper said regardless of the outcome, he’s happy to see two Bonackers battling it out for the No. 1 spot in the division. The pair were the top two seeds heading into the tournament.

“It was great to see us representing East Hampton in the finals,” the junior said. “The team had a great showing in the singles and doubles brackets, and we’re excited moving forward. I’m proud of this group and I’m happy that I made it to the finals. Hopefully I can win it all next year.”

East Hampton freshmen Jagger Cohen and Henry Cooper, Nick’s younger brother, finished third after teammates Cameron and Kiefer Mitchell forfeited the consolation match. Cohen and Cooper, a sophomore, took down Ross’s Leonardo Carmo and Nicolas Sanchez, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, before falling to Shoreham-Wading River brothers Ray and Kai Hidaka, 6-2, 1-6, 4-6, in the semifinals.

“We played a bunch of matches together against a bunch of teams, and Jagger’s big serve really saved us in our quarterfinal match against a good team. I also believe we have great mindsets. We are confident when we should be and we help each other stay mentally intact when we make a mistake,” Cooper said. “It felt good making it far this year compared to last year, where I lost early on, but Jagger and I felt heading into the tournament that we had a good shot at winning.”

Senior Armando Rangel and junior Miguel Garcia placed sixth with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win over William Floyd’s Francis Amalfitano and Jason Speruta, and the Mitchell brothers bested Rangel and Garcia, 7-5, 6-7, 6-0, to secure fourth.

East Hampton junior Jesse Cohen, Jagger’s older brother, and Pierson junior Chris Pilarski also competed in the doubles tournament, making it out of the first round with a shutout victory over Eastport-South Manor, before falling to eventual double champions Bobby Stabile and Giancarlo Volpe out of Westhampton Beach, 6-1, 6-1.

Southampton’s doubles team of Beckham LaRose and Yostin Sandoval Vasquez also made it out of the first round, while teammates LaChia Comonte and Kirill Sues, and singles players Lucas Bencandino, Jax Gassener and Dylan Grigo also competed last weekend.

The top eight singles players and top six doubles teams advance to the Suffolk County championships, which begin Friday, May 19, at Smithtown East High School at 9 a.m.

“I’m excited for counties, definitely,” said Astilean, who exited the tournament in the quarterfinals last year while battling an illness. “I’m feeling good, so I’m curious to see how far I can get.”