Entering the FCIAC Boys Tennis Tournament final, second-seeded Greenwich had defeated all but one of the opponents it faced this season, with the one foe being rival New Canaan, the squad they tested their skills against in the championship match.

Edged by the Rams in the regular season, the Cardinals returned the favor in a match with more at stake, continuing their reign of supremacy in the FCIAC.

Winning two singles matches and two doubles matchups, Greenwich achieved a four-peat, capturing its fourth consecutive FCIAC Tournament title with a 4-3 win over top-seeded New Canaan in the title match at Wilton High School on May 22. The victory gave Greenwich its 20th FCIAC Tournament championship, with its first coming back in 1992.

“This year has been a huge success,” Greenwich High junior co-captain Owen Kwon said. “A lot of people doubted us saying, ‘the dynasty is over,’ but over the offseason, everyone put their heads down and went to work and that really showed once the regular season and playoffs came around to be ready for this moment.”

“And that’s why we won – grit, determination and the desire to want it more,” continued Kwon, who has excelled at No. 2 singles for GHS throughout the season.

The championship triumph improved Greenwich’s record to 17-1, its only loss coming against the rival Rams on April 14th, with the score also being 4-3. The Cardinals sport a sensational 83-1 record dating back to the 2023 season. New Canaan, also an outstanding squad, also has a record of 17-1 so far this season.

New Canaan, which was seeking to win its first FCIAC Tennis Tournament title since 2010, was also defeated by the Cardinals in the conference tourney final in 2024. The Cards topped Staples in the 2025 FCIAC final and were victorious versus Darien in the 2023 title match.

“I am so grateful to have such a strong and resilient team,” said Greenwich senior co-captain Elias Orrell, who has competed at the No. 1 singles position this spring. “Up until this match we really fought for this in terms of our long practices and quite literally, zero days off.”

“Anytime we could practice we could to the extent of reaching out to clubs and friends to see what we could fit in,” Orrell added. “This match was a testament to this work ethic and grind we created.”

Greenwich’s two singles victories against New Canaan came from Francesco Lindia and Zach Schwartz. Lindia, a sophomore, registered a 6-1, 6-2 win over Rams sophomore Roger Rosales at No. 3 singles.

“I think personally for me it was just understanding his game since I’ve played him before and playing smarter tennis that led to my win,” Lindia said.

Greenwich has won the majority of its matches in convincing fashion this season yet in the tight matchups, the coach Mike Racanelli’s squad has also shown a penchant for winning clutch points in key moments.

“I think we all showed great heart and won the contested matches,” Lindia noted. “We only have one starting senior, so it’s great to see this team already starting its winning ways for next year.”

Schwartz, a junior, came back to beat New Canaan sophomore Roman D’Andrea in the FCIAC final at fourth singles, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2.

“After being up 4-1 in the first set and losing, I talked to coach and just had to prepare for a long match,” Schwartz said. “I knew I could out grind my opponent because I’ve lost a lot of first sets this year and still won. But I was also dealing with cramps, which I’ve never had before, but I just had to fight through the pain and I was able to clinch.”

New Canaan received singles victories from senior Jack Mountford at No. 1 and Quinn Scanlon, also a senior at the second spot. Mountford, one of Connecticut’s premier players, posted a 6-0, 6-2 win over Orrell.

“Quite literally, my hands were sort of out of the match,” Orrell said. “Playing someone as strong as Mountford, I had to trust my team and the work we put in and it really paid off. I commend the team for their hard work, our chemistry, our fighting spirit and the ability to make it happen. And of course, our coach for driving hours back and forth to help us get there.”

Scanlon earned a 7-5, 6-4 win over Kwon at secoond singles.

“For me, I had a gut-wrenching loss and was playing arguably my best tennis all season, up 3-0, in the second set before I started feeling cramps again,” Kwon said. “But nevertheless, I battled until the very end.”

In doubles play in the FCIAC final, Greenwich junior Jake Orbanowski and sophomore Ryan Stanton displayed excellent teamwork in recording a 6-1, 6-4 victory over senior Julian Doshi and sophomore Jake Lee.

“Coming into the match, we knew New Canaan was going to throw everything they had at us and credit to them, they were phenomenal and pushed us a lot,” Stanton said. “We just focused on our brand of tennis – aggressive, high energy doubles.”

“Jake and I came out with a lot of energy, served well and looked to take over at the net early to set the tone,” Stanton continued. “It feels incredible to get this win, especially after dropping a close one to them earlier in the season. Winning 4-3 as a team shows just how deep and resilient this group is.”

Orbanowski shared his thoughts about how well the team came together and played together throughout the season.

“Even though you could say we are used to this, this year was unlike any other,” Orbanowski noted. “The atmosphere this year was unmatched. Coming down to the last match left both teams desperately cheering for their player to win. Along with that, this year we had 10 seniors leaving and a new coach, which might’ve led to some doubts about our program. But not for us. We stepped up and gave it our all every day to get this championship.”

At No. 2 doubles, sophomore Milo Russo and junior Jake Neuenfeldt gave Greenwich an impressive 6-0, 6-1 win over Rams seniors Grady Campo/Grayson Siegert.

“We kept it consistent and put the ball away at the net when we could,” Neuenfeldt said. “Also, if we had a ground stroke that we could attack, we ripped it down the line, or at the net guy.”

The Cards’ No. 2 doubles team has exhibited confidence and composure on the court all season.

“Our overall demeanor on the court was positive and we were playing well all season, knowing no matter who we played we’d have a great shot to win.”

The Rams duo of freshman James Amundsen and senior Andrew Liebau notched a 7-5, 6-1 win against GHS freshman Liam McGovern and sophomore Zach Roth.

“I love these boys and I’m happy with the way I’ve contributed to the team leading up to FCIACs,” Roth said. “Now, let’s get after states.”

Greenwich advanced to the FCIAC Tournament final by topping rival Staples in the semifinals, 4-0.

“This season has been so special,” Kwon said. “Being junior captain for this team has truly been an honor and we have such a great group of guys. I’m just so happy to say we are 2026 FCIAC champions. All glory to God.”

“We worked all season for this,” Stanton said. “The whole team fought for every single point and bringing home a fourth straight title for Greenwich is an amazing feeling. It was a great day to be a Cardinal.”

“Even the fact that we lost to them in the regular season and fought to change that result is a testament to how much we were able to grow in those few weeks leading up to it.”