EAST PROVIDENCE (and PAWTUCKET) – The Prout boys tennis team waited one year for its chance at redemption.
The Crusaders had the patience to wait another 24 hours.
After losing last season’s Division II championship match, Prout wasn’t sure what 2026 would bring but was ready to get revenge. Returning to Slater Park to play North Smithfield in the D-II title match on Sunday, the Crusaders were on the cusp of a title before Mother Nature decided they’d have to wait another day.
Monday, Prout made the long drive to East Providence High School, warmed up, and some 20 minutes later, finished what it started. Alex Demos and Jack Paiva closed out their match at No. 2 doubles to earn the clinching point in the Crusaders’ 4-1 win over the Northmen, claiming the program’s fourth championship.
“We felt like we should and could [win] and that was the messaged conveyed the first day of practice,” Prout No. 2 Luke Cavanagh said. “We were coming for the championship and we were going to win it.”
The Crusaders were the No. 1 seed in the 2025 Division II Tournament, but lost to Narragansett, 4-3, in the final.
That loss fed Prout all season long. The Crusaders earned some revenge with a 4-3 win over the Mariners in the second match of the season, but saw their undefeated season end when Narragansett took home a 4-3 win on May 5.
“I was really upset about that loss and at first, the team was too,” Demos said. “After a few days coming back from it, we were ready to play even harder.”
“It was a good thing. It’s a lot harder to cap off an undefeated season than one where we have a loss,” Cavanagh said. “Overall, a loss was necessary for us to bounce back from.”
Prout had eyes on a rematch, but it never came. North Smithfield played the role of spoiler in the semifinals, upsetting Narragansett and earning its spot in the final two years after winning a Division III title of its own.
“It was definitely a shock when we found out,” Paiva said. “This team we knew they were a good team. We beat them 4-3, but a lot of people were missing because of vacation.
“We had to practice like it was a new team we hadn’t faced before and remember to have fun, because if you’re not having fun in tennis it doesn’t matter how many championships you win.”
The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, but the weather forced a postponement to Sunday. The skies were clear at Slater Park when the teams arrived, but the match started late after East Greenwich’s win over Barrington in the State Championship ran long.
Prout got off to the start it wanted and led 2-1, with two matches one game away from clinching the title. Then the rains came, forcing a postponement of the match and a change of site with Slater Park booked for a men’s tennis league on Monday.
Both teams arrived at East Providence well ahead of the 4:30 scheduled start and play was started early.
Cavanagh led 6-4, 5-3 but was down 0-40. After dead shanking a shot on his first point, Cavanagh fell behind North Smithfield’s Tim Ferri 15-40 before battling back to close out his match, 6-4, 6-4, earning the third point.
“It was really annoying to say the least that we had to pause,” Cavanagh said. “Basically, we were thinking to ourselves that we’ve got his and we have to come and bring our game one more day.”
Prout’s No. 1 doubles team of Wilson Babij and Brady Kopka were on the cusp of victory up 6-4, 5-4, but North Smithfield’s Chase Nelson and Ben Wallbillich evened the second set off by finishing the paused game from the day before.
That set the stage for Demos and Paiva. The duo got off to a rough start Sunday, dropping the first set to Carter Hawes and Cody Roy before taking the second. Up 2-6, 6-1, 3-1 coming into Monday, Demos and Paiva found the momentum they left in Pawtucket and used it to close out the final set, 6-2, to earn the clinching point.
“We had a lot of energy and we were really excited [Sunday],” Demos said. “Honestly, I was a little worried we weren’t going to be able to keep that because we started a little slow [Sunday]. We came back and kept the same intensity and that took us all the way.”
North Smithfield didn’t show up to Slater Park intending to lose and didn’t make the second trip to East Providence ready to give up. While things didn’t go the Northmen’s way, it’s clear the program is in good shape and with a young roster, will be ready to come back even better next season.
“It was just great. Everyone played their hearts out there,” North Smithfield No. 1 Nate Tremblay said. “Practices, everyone showed up every day and worked on what we needed to do just to get to this.
“ … We came into the season not knowing we’d be a playoff team, to be honest. We didn’t know what we had, what our competition would be because a lot had changed.”
The falling of the final point should have been an emotional release, but it was a touch on the quiet side.
But maybe that’s what happens after you have to wait an extra 24 hours after already waiting a year.
“I thought my serve was out, but apparently it was in and when I found out it was just different,” Demos said. “It felt amazing to know we were the champions and we reigned supreme.”
“The 24 hours did kind of subdue things, but this is something that’s going to last forever,” Cavanagh said. “Even if that moment wasn’t that loud, we’ll have this memory to look back on.”
2026 RIIL D-II Tennis Championship
Prout 4, North Smithfield 1
Singles: 1, Nico Testa, P, def. Nate Trembaly, NS, 6-0, 6-3; 2, Luke Cavanagh, P, def. T. Ferri, NS, 6-4, 6-4; 3, Lawson Graybill, P, def. Oliver Drolet, NS, 6-2, 6-3.
Doubles: 2, Alex Demos/Jack Paiva, P, def. Carter Hawes/Cody Roy, NS, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. 3, Ben Cuddy/Alex Sevegny, NS, def. Joe Cichon/Gianni DeCubellis, P, 6-2, 6-2.
Did not finish: 4, Bryce Santos, NS, led Liam O’Connor, P, 7-5, 3-5. 1, Wilson Babij/Brady Kopka led Chase Nelson/Ben Wallbillich, NS, 6-4, 6-6.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Result of the 2026 RIIL Division II Boys Tennis Championship match