‘It’s unbelievable, man’: Lex pals make history with state doubles title

WOOSTER — At some point during their unprecedented assault on the record books, tennis partners Ethan Remy and Dylan Catanese stopped seeing faces across the net and started seeing only golden opportunities.

“It didn’t really matter who we played,” Catanese said. “We just had to go out there and battle and win as many points as we could.”

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Over three weeks of postseason tennis, they went 12-0 for Lexington, losing just 39 games in 25 sets while being extended to a third set just once en route to a Division II state championship.

They beat the Central District champs in Friday morning’s semifinals and then toppled the Northeast District champs in the afternoon title match at the College of Wooster, becoming the first duo to win an OHSAA doubles crown in Lex’s storied history.

We’re talking about a program that under coach Ron Schaub’s leadership has won a combined seven state team championships (boys and girls), made 16 Final Four appearances in the boys team tournament alone (including Saturday), won the last six and 17 of 20 Ohio Cardinal Conference boys crowns and produced two state singles champions – his daughter Melissa in 2001 and Mason Dragos in 2015.

But, never, until Friday, could Lex toast a doubles team for winning a state title. Coming the closest was Touby McCammon and Ward Fisher finishing as state runners-up in 1991 under then-coach John Harris.

Remy and Catanese saved their best tennis for the last two matches, beating Columbus Academy’s Lucas Xue and Rowan Lo 6-1, 6-4 in the semis before knocking off Gabi Kalir and Ace Bloom of Pepper Pike Orange 6-2, 7-5 to trigger a crazy celebration with their teammates, families and fans.

The only thing left is to get fitted for rings, which the Lexington Booster Club gives to all of the school’s state champions.

“We definitely played our best tennis in the last match,” Catanese said. “After sectionals (and a 6-0, 6-1 title win over teammates Karl Etzel and Owan Gongwer) I said, oh, that’s the best we’ve ever played (even though they won No. 1 doubles at the loaded Lex Invite). After districts, I said that’s the best we’ve ever played. And then after the first round of state, I said that’s the best we’ve ever played. We kept getting better. We definitely capped it off there in the title match.”

That’s the key. As well as they played the entire postseason, they never peaked. And maybe still haven’t.

“I’d say all the teams we played (in four matches at state) were equal,” Remy said. “It just depends on how good you’re playing that day.”

Remy’s play in both Friday matches ranged from good to ridiculously good. He closed out four games with lethal groundstrokes, including three game-clinching salvos against Academy, that were either flat-out winners or handcuffed their opponents.

“That’s why he’s so special,” Schaub said. “When people say, what’s special about Ethan? Good gawd, the groundstrokes … they’re phenomenal. And Dylan’s net play is phenomenal.”

Assistant coach Rob Michels said it goes beyond the shot-making.

“These guys are good friends and have a lot of chemistry,” he said. “In doubles, it’s big. If you’re playing with someone you really like and work well with, it makes a big difference.”

In the semis, the 10th game of the second set was a microcosm of the entire day for Lex. After rebounding from a 3-4 deficit to take a 5-4 lead, Remy smoked a backhand service return winner with Xue and Lo one point from making it 5-all.

Catanese then capped the match with a flourish, streaking along the net to cut off a shot and punch a backhand volley where it couldn’t be retrieved.

“Academy is so good and they’re so well-coached,” Schaub of the perennial Central Ohio power. “I think it’s good that we play them every year in the regular season. We know what we’re going to get from them, but I thought we played fantastic.”

They would get even better in the finals. They’d have to because they were up against a team from Orange that won by straight sets in the semis over RJ Poffenberger and Neelan Gandhi of Cincinnati Indian Hill, the No. 1-ranked team in the state.

And Orange’s Gabi Kalir was back from the doubles team that won state in 2023.

But it was Ontario siblings Pablo and Hector Sanchez who exposed a chink in Orange’s armor in Thursday’s quarterfinals, winning the first set 6-2 before eventually succumbing. Remy and Catanese then cracked that armor wide open.

Remy set the tempo in Game 1, lashing a backhand winner down the line to seal a 1-0 lead. After Kalir held to make it 1-1, Catanese held, too, at love, thanks in part to a scorcher off the backhand side that turned into a crosscourt winner and gave Lex a 2-1 lead.

Orange would hold serve again to make it 2-all, but never won another game in that first set.

Catanese was cutting everything off at the net and Remy was spraying winners, left and right. The last thing they needed was help, but they got it anyway. Bloom struggled with his serve the entire match, and with his team trailing 2-5, he double-faulted on three straight points to hand Lex the set.

Remy and Catanese saw that momentum disappear early in the second set. They needed to fight off a break point and used a Remy backhand winner to hold for 1-0, but Orange proceeded to win three games in a row for a 3-1 lead.

Lex was able to regroup and, at 2-3, Catanese and Remy broke Kalir at love to make it 3-all. They held serve to make it 4-3 and 5-4, but Orange fought off two match points to make it 5-all.

Leading 6-5, Lex would let a third match point get away, but the fourth was a charm as Kalir’s volley smacked into the net to end it.

For a split second Catanese wasn’t sure how to react.

“I was right there at the net and I was in shock,” he said. “Then I realized we actually won.”

He flung his cap, dropped his racket and ran toward Remy.

“He actually went to hug me,” Catanese said. “It’s not like him to get all emotional. We were definitely happy and proud of ourselves for winning.”

That service break at love was huge as far as Lex climbing back into the second set.

“It definitely gave us the momentum,” Remy said.

Added Catanese, “Every game of that set was huge, but that was definitely a monumental game.”

This was a lucky 13th doubles title for Catanese in his varsity career, with another season still to go. Next year at this time, Remy will have finished up as a freshman at Tiffin University, which has arguably the best NCAA Division II tennis program in the state.

Their split will come soon enough. For now they deserve to bask.

“We put in so much work over the summer, fall and winter. It’s a great feeling,” Catanese said. “First time in school history … It’s unbelievable, man.”

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: ‘It’s unbelievable, man’: Lex pals make history with state doubles title