ALLENTOWN – Zach Ligenza played in the No. 2 singles slot for the Jim Thorpe boys’ tennis team this season.

During the last five days, however, Ligenza was on some unfamiliar ground as he was playing in the District 11 Class AA Doubles Tournament.

It was an adjustment Ligenza and his partner Sam Lux, the Olympians’ No. 1 singles player, handled well together. So well in fact that the Jim Thorpe seniors walked away with the bronze medal after knocking off Notre Dame of Green Pond’s Matt Crouse and Mike Antonis, 6-3, 6-4 in Monday’s consolation match.

“Basically, when I found out that Sam and I were going to be doubles’ partners, I was pretty excited,” Ligenza said. “We actually did have to build into it because we’re singles’ players. We’re not very good at doubles.

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ALLENTOWN – Sam Lux was exactly where he wanted to be on the first Monday in May – give or take 20 yards.

The Jim Thorpe senior was playing in the District 11 Class AA Tennis Tournament at West End Racquet and Fitness Center. But instead of playing for the district title and a berth in the state tournament, Lux had to settle for a berth in the consolation match.

One court removed from the television cameras and the big crowd following the gold medal match, Lux was determined to make the most of his bronze medal showdown against Wilson’s Mike Nester.

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SOUTH WHITEHALL – Sam Lux and Zach Ligenza don’t play a lot of doubles tennis.

But it didn’t show Friday in the first round of the District 11 Class AA doubles tournament at West End Racquestball Club.

The Jim Thorpe seniors disposed of both their opponents in two sets and are headed to today’s quarterfinal round.

“This is kind of new,” said Lux, a district singles semifinalist and the Olympians No. 1 singles player the past two years. “Doubles is interesting to say the least. It’s not what I’m used to, but I can defnitely appreciate doubles. It’s a different game than singles. I’m lucky I have a good partner. It makes it a lot easier when you have a good partner.”

Lux and Ligenza, the No. 2 seeded pairing in the tournament, won their first round match 6-0, 6-4 over Wilson’s Roth Healey and Michael McLaughlin. They beat Bethlehem Catholic’s Stephen Rossi and Frank Shi in the second round to advance to the quarterfinals.

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SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP Four and a half hours of tennis is a lot on any day under any conditions.

With District 11 tournament hopes riding on each match and with the tempurature rising near 90 degrees Saturday on West End Racquetball Club’s macadam courts, it turned out to be just a little too much tennis for Sam Lux.

The Jim Thorpe senior fell in the semifinals of the Class AA District 11 Tournament, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 to Central Catholic’s Labario Obeid.

“He just ran out of gas today,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Norb Lienhard. “That’s what happened. He had a long first match in this heat.”

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FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – Everyone in the house thought Zach Hogan was Tuesday night’s hero when his driving layup on the left baseline with three seconds left in the game put North Schuylkill up by a point.

Sam Lux had a different idea.

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Junior Rashid Epps scored 20 points in the 65-51 victory.

From the Standard-Speaker: Jim Thorpe, in front of a packed house on its east side, got to play at its pace and put on a show in a much anticipated bout against Panther Valley. The Olympians used a second half burst and outlasted the Panthers 65-51 in a key Schuylkill League Division I contest Friday night. Read the full story here.

JIM THORPE (65)

DiBonifazio 2 0-0 6, Lux 5 3-7 15, Epps 9 2-6 20, Cinicola 5 1-3 13, Richardson 0 2-2 2, Johnson 4 1-1 9. Totals 25 9-19 65.

PANTHER VALLEY (51)

Ogozalek 0 0-0 0, Stanko 3 1-2 9, Picht 1 0-0 2, Stano 6 2-2 15, Mitchell 5 1-3 12, Lewis 4 0-0 8, Revell 2 1-2 5, Ahrner 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 5-9 51.

JTHS………………..19 13 15 18 – 65

PVHS………………..17 11 11 12 -51

3FG: DiBonifazio 2, Lux 2, Cincola 2; Stanko 2, Stano.

 Click here to see all the photos from the game.

Click here for photos from the game.

Game Wrap-up from Republican-Herald:

Jim Thorpe 65 Blue Mountain 55

JIM THORPE – Rashid Epps scored 18 points while Sam Lux added 17 as the Olympians remained tied atop the Division I standings with a win over the Eagles.

Lux scored six of his points in the second quarter as Jim Thorpe used a 23-8 run to take a 37-17 halftime lead. Corey Cinicola added 12 points for the Olympians.

Jake Cryts led Blue Mountain with 18 points while Matt Maloney added 12.

Bobby Hahn scored 18 of his game-high 23 points in the second half as Northern Lehigh handed Jim Thorpe its first loss of the season, 75-62 to win the championship of the Slatington Rotary Tournament on Tuesday night.

Corey Cinicola led the Olympians with 17 points, while Sam Lux and Rashid Epps each tallied 16.

Palmerton defeated Lehighton 69-63 to win the consolation game.

Here’s the Times-News story from the earlier win against Palmerton in the same Tournament.