The Whitehall boys tennis team tried to flip the script against Parkland on Saturday, but the Trojans retained the upper hand, knocking the Zephyrs from the ranks of the unbeaten.

Parkland won the match 5-1, sweeping all singles matches as they extended their winning streak over the Zephyrs. With the loss, Whitehall is now 11-1.

While Parkland’s depth at every spot is the primary source of their power, the Zephyrs have chipped away at their dominance. Last year the Zephyrs won three sets against the Trojans, two of those coming in their singles matches. This year they won three sets again, but two of their doubles matches had to decided by tiebreakers, while Jeremy Lim’s three-setter was also decided on a tiebreaker. (The first set went to a tiebreaker as well).

While defeating the Trojans remains a huge challenge, they are closing the competitive gap.

Still, head coach Guillermo Valera said that it’s about maintaining consistency, turning those individual set wins into match wins. That’s something Parkland’s able to do, relying on their depth and experience to find ways to win. They have six seniors on their roster, with multiple players having postseason experience.

“They were more consistent and that’s what made the difference,” said Valera.

Jeremy Lim’s battle against Alex Son in many ways mirrored his match against the Trojan in the district quarterfinals last season. It was another three-set marathon that was ultimately decided by a tiebreaker. Son won the first set 7-6, but Lim rallied to even the match, winning 6-4. He lost the final set 5-7 for his first blemish of the season.

Valera said that Lim played well, but often was playing defensively and that played into Son’s hands.

“It’s hard to make a match when you’re playing defensively,” said Valera.

He said that Son dictated the action, making Lim run corner to corner. He said they spoke during the match about being more aggressive and incorporating that mindset into his game.

At No. 2 singles, Nick Rohn succumbed to Ryan Guzman 0-6, 3-6, while Nick Demjan lost in three sets to Sam Zahn, 2-6, 6-3, 4-6.

Their lone win came at No. 2 doubles as Edward Harrich and Erik Poon defeated Jonah Grob and Ankit Lenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. That pair has remained one of the best tandems in the league, cementing themselves as a doubles team to watch once the postseason begins.

Valera said that they have a great team and that the kids all competed, but they still have work to do to catch up to Parkland.