Jordan Ghongpa won his 7th straight match in straight sets for Hasbrouck Heights in a 4-1 win over Rutherford on Monday afternoon.

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS – Putting together a successful program at a Group 1 school that is not a traditional powerhouse is no easy feat, but it is one that Suzanne Caines has successfully navigated in. No more impressive than what she has going this season. Although she has a senior-dominated team, none of them played tennis on a serious level before entering high school.

After a successful 12-6 campaign and a tough loss to eventual section champion New Providence last year, the returning players decided to work hard in the off-season to make their senior season a memorable one. The Aviators are seeing the fruits of that hard work and it has them dreaming of being a championship squad.

At the top of the lineup, Jordan Ghongpa and Andriy Mandzy set the tone. They both showed a well-rounded game to help Hasbrouck Heights remain undefeated on the season with a 4-1 victory over Rutherford on Monday in Hasbrouck Heights.

“This group of seniors has really worked hard all winter long to make this a special season,” said Caines, Hasbrouck Heights’ longtime boys’ and girls’ tennis coach. “There is a lot of parity in our league this year and we’ve been tested, which will help us later on in the season.”

Ghongpa may be the most unlikely success story in Bergen County tennis. From not even knowing how to keep score to becoming one of Bergen County’s top small-school players in basically three years has been nothing short of remarkable. The left-hander showed off both his power on his serve and along the baseline and used some crafty work at the net to cruise to his seventh consecutive straight-set win. To show how dominant he has been this season, Ghongpa has dropped just two games total in his last four matches.

Gaurang Mehta scored the lone point for Rutherford at third singles.

“It’s great to watch this team grow from year to year,” said Ghongpa. “My sophomore year so we were all brand new to varsity tennis. Last year, we showed improvement. Now we have that experience, and we’ve put a lot of work in since last year. I just either played with my friends or watched YouTube to pick up tips. This year it’s about confidence. We’re going to have some tough matches the rest of the season and in the state tournament. But if we can stay confident we can keep this thing going.”

He was followed off the court soon after by Mandzy, who used a big forehand as a weapon throughout his match. Luis Nodcaj and Ethan Tran were both aggressors at the net to score the clinching point for Hasbrouck Heights (8-0). Connor Ng and Carter Spittle notched the final point at second doubles.

Gaurang Mehta scored the lone point for Rutherford (1-7) at third singles. After losing to Hasbrouck Heights’ Andre Baculio a week ago in a third-set super tiebreaker, he scored a late break in the first set on his way to a 6-4, 6-4 win.

Hasbrouck Heights will now prepare for a showdown with Secaucus on Wednesday where a win will all but lock up the NJIC-Meadowlands Division title. The Aviators are also currently in line for the top seed in the North 2, Group 1 state tournament. While the section has many talented teams with perennial champ New Providence having moved out of the section it leaves the door open for a potential run at the program’s first state sectional title since 2014.

“We just want to control what we do and have a great time playing,” added Caines. “At our level it is about playing consistent and making smart decisions. Our goal is to keep it simple, play our best tennis every time we’re on the court and see how far it takes us.”

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