Jericho boys badminton completes undefeated season with eighth consecutive Nassau championship

Jericho’s Jerry Zhang gripped the Nassau championship plaque with both hands as he thrusted it triumphantly in the air. Teammate Jonathan Chau and others took turns embracing coach Anthony LaRosa, donning wide smiles with laughter and cheers echoing off the gymnasium’s walls.

The more things change on Jericho boys badminton’s lineup card, the more things stay the same as the No. 1 Jayhawks completed their undefeated season by claiming their eighth consecutive Nassau title with a 6-1 home win over No. 2 Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK on Friday evening.

“The love that’s in this community and this team, it motivated me and inspired me to work as hard as I can and bring it home today,” Zhang said.

The win extends the Jayhawks’ winning streak to 67 games, and Zhang put together a masterclass in the process. After losing to POB JFK’s Michael Li twice during the regular season, Zhang battled back to win, 15-21, 22-20, 21-19 in first singles. The win clinched a decisive 4-0 start for Jericho (17-0).

Tied at 14 in Game 3, neither took more than a one-point lead before the final exchange.

“I work well under pressure, especially when I have the crowd watching me,” Zhang said. “I love the loud cheers, I love the hype. When it comes down to these high-pressure situations — especially with the amazing turnout we had — that’s really when I perform best.”

Third singles senior Jonathan Chau of Jericho added a big win over Matthew Lee in a hard-fought two-game match, 21-11, 21-17. Juniors Owen He and Alex Li of Jericho also helped make Zhang’s clinching point a reality, defeating Caden Kim and Joshua Lee, 21-5, 21-16, in third doubles. POB JFK finishes 14-3.

Like Zhang, He and Alex Li lost both of their previous meetings against Kim and Lee. This time, they scored 10 consecutive points to open Game 1 before setting the tone with a 17-3 lead.

“We try to play as quick as possible,” Alex Li said. “We try to play more net to get more chances to smash.”

As one looked around the gymnasium at Jericho, you could see the camaraderie Zhang spoke of. While Jericho waits until May to face Suffolk’s spring boys badminton champion in the Long Island championship, Zhang has the answer to what makes this Jayhawks program special year after year.

“In one word, heart,” Zhang said. “One of my favorite quotes is, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard’ . . . At the end of the day, it comes down to how much we love this sport, how much we care about each other and the community that Jericho badminton is.”