The Best of Boys Badminton

It was match point when junior and second singles Charles Luo delivered a cross-court smash just out of the reach of his opponent to seal the deal, 21-14. Stuyvesant, four, Townsend Harris, one. Game. Players of the Stuyvesant boys’ badminton team stormed the court, hoisting Luo up into the air. With this victory, the team concluded their perfect 2022-23 season, going undefeated and winning the playoffs.

In prior years, the Stuyvesant boys’ badminton team has always dominated. Two back-to-back seasons as finalists, including one in 2021-2022 where they boasted an undefeated record, cemented the team as one of the top teams in the city. Yet despite all the regular season success, they were still missing a title—City Champions.

After a devastating loss in the 2021-2022 finals, the team went back to the drawing board. They faced a new predicament as they prepared for the next season, as five of their seven starters had graduated. With the uncertainty of their new starting lineup, they looked to the rising underclassmen to fill in the holes. Successful decision-making in the roster from both coach Marvin Autry and the captains translated to another season of dominance. Aside from one 4-1 win against division rival Brooklyn Tech, the Stuyvesant team shut out each of their other nine regular season games 5-0. The new singles roster, consisting of senior captain Lukas Chang, junior Charles Luo, and junior Allen Chao, dominated their opposition, winning all of their matches without dropping a single set throughout the six games they competed in.

The team displayed unmatched talent on the court, but maintaining strong team chemistry was equally crucial to their success. With 24 players on the roster, the players garnered lots of support and cheers from the sidelines at every match. “The combination of the improvements our teammates made as well as team morale [contributed most to the team’s dominance]. I believe this was one of the most involved, committed, and enthusiastic teams I’ve seen in the past three years,” Chang said.

With another undefeated regular season, Chang and his team were granted the one seed in the playoffs. Identical 5-0 shutout victories against specialized high school rivals Brooklyn Tech and Bronx Science propelled the team to their third consecutive season in the championship match. The game featured a finals rematch from the 2021-2022 season, as Stuyvesant was slated to play the second-seeded Townsend Harris.

The team entered the match looking for revenge. Chang and Chao started Stuyvesant off by winning two matches with swift 3-0 victories. The next game was first doubles, featuring freshman Haowen Xiao and sophomore Ethan Sie. The two played neck-and-neck against their opponents in the entirety of a three-set match, which ultimately ended in favor of Townsend Harris by two points. One match victory away from the title, Luo delivered another 3-0 victory—a championship-cinching win. Storming the court in the midst of Luo’s championship-clinching win, the meet concluded with a 3-0 doubles win from senior captain Giridhar Bonu and sophomore Nicholas Foh. With a final 4-1 score, there was a new city champion—the Stuyvesant badminton team.

“Pow. We did that.” Autry said in his final speech to the team.

Remarks from the captains put the season in the books. “I’m glad for my senior year, we went out with a dub,” Bonu said in his speech.

When asked about winning the title in his senior year, Chang delivered a similar response. “It was the last chance for us to prove ourselves and claim the title, so it was very satisfying as an end to our season as seniors. I’m glad that I can leave the school with a team that can see the new potential we’ve created,” Chang said.

Though the team will lose its captains and other crucial pieces next year, the squad remains strong. Juniors Luo and Chao have dominated the entire season, and their experience as seniors next year will be important to guide a team loaded with freshmen and sophomores to a back-to-back championship. “I expect nothing less than what we achieved this year,” Chang said. The team will look to repeat this next season, but for now, they are the new city champions.