Cedar Crest's Weston Fortna ended a stellar scholastic tennis career in the opening round of the PIAA State Championship on Friday. (FILE PHOTO)
Four Lebanon County singles championships. One District Three singles title. The distinction of being best player on the best team in the Lancaster-Lebanon League this past season.

And those aren't even all of Weston Fortna's scholastic tennis accomplishments. Or the only things he'll be remembered for by teammates, coaches and fellow competitors.

The highly decorated and tremendously classy career of Cedar Crest's senior tennis standout came to a conclusion on Friday after a three-set first-round loss to John Wu of Unionville in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAA State Singles Championship at Hershey Racquet Club.

But the occasion of Fortna's final scholastic match, a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 defeat was not marked by sadness according to Cedar Crest coach Mike Rohrbach. Too much had been achieved prior to Friday for that to be the case.

"He wasn't disappointed at all," Rohrbach said of Fortna, who will continue his tennis career at the Coast Guard Academy. "There were a lot of smiles and happiness. For a high school kid, he has an amazing amount of perspective. The amount of class he has...he might have more class than any kid I've ever seen or coached."

As his list of accomplishments- which also includes four straight appearances in the state tourney in either singles or doubles - suggests, Fortna also has plenty of game. And the reigning District Three Class AAA singles champ showed a good bit of it again on Friday against District One fourth seed Wu.

But

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the Unionville sophomore, toughened by competing in the talent-rich suburban Philadelphia area, had a little too much for Fortna on this day, recovering from the first-set loss to take the next two sets and the match.

It was a bit of an unfortunate draw for Fortna, but not one he'll be complaining about anytime soon.

"Extremely difficult," Rohrbach said of Fortna's tough opening match. "All the kids (from District One) are incredible, and it was the same thing today. But he played a great match.

"He has a lot to be happy about. He's one of the best tennis players Cedar Crest has ever had. His record and career speak for itself."

As did a scene that played itself out inside Hershey Racquet Club after Fortna's loss to Wu.

"On his way out, a dozen people must have come up to him and shook his hand and told him how much they enjoyed watching him play," Rohrbach noted. Those who want to and can afford to travel can continue to see Fortna play at the next level at the Coast Guard Academy. One gets the feeling there may be some friendly faces from home in the crowd at many of those future matches.

"It's really a beginning of his college career," Rohrbach said. "I'm excited to see him move forward. I'm excited to see how he does."