That was evident for fans on Saturday at Williamsport High School on a chilly afternoon.

Lose a tiebreaker in the first set? No problem, shake it off.

Trail 5-2 in a decisive third set? Keep fighting.

That’s what the Bulldog duo did and played an outstanding quarterfinal to win and advance to Monday’s District 4 doubles semifinals.

Saul Hensler and his teammate Ezra Paulhamus of Jersey Shore tap rackets after winning a set Saturday afternoon in Williamsport. DAVE KENNEDY/For The Express

“We just pushed through and we didn’t give up,” Hensler said. “A lot of times I’ll see players give up, but we did our best to keep fighting.”

“I mean we kind of just both told each other to keep fighting,” Paulhamus added. “We didn’t have anything to lose.”

Hensler and Paulhamus lost in the first set to Central Columbia’s David Toscano and Nate Lang, 6-7 (7-4) and fell into a hole early. But there was no panic and the Bulldog pair stayed focused.

“We just fought through. We didn’t let it get us down and we kept fighting,” Hensler said.

In that first set, Jersey Shore trailed 4-1 at one point and won two to make it a 4-3 deficit. The Blue Jays’ duo went up 5-4 before Jersey Shore won four straight points to tie it, 5-5, and then took a 6-5 lead before a tiebreaker happened.

Saul Hensler of Jersey Shore returns a volley as he and his team mate Ezra Paulhamus play Saturday afternoon in Williamsport. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“I think we knew that the first set was super close so we kind of changed a little thing. We started doing something else,” Paulhamus said.

In the second set, Jersey Shore led early, 2-1. Toscano and Lang would go ahead 3-2 and 4-3 before another Bulldog rally with two straight wins gave Jersey Shore the 5-4 lead. The Bulldogs would then close it out 6-4.

In the third set, Hensler and Paulhamus once again found themselves trailing and were down 5-2 at one point. But they did what they did all day on Saturday and kept fighting and kept battling.

It resulted in Jersey Shore cutting that deficit to 5-4 before back-to-back wins and a 6-4 victory in exciting fashion.

“It means everything,” Hensler said.

“I mean we’ve never done it before. It’s pretty cool,” Paulhamus said.

Paulhamus and Hensler had a solid day of competition. In the first round, they defeated South Williamsport’s Daivd Miller and Levi Jackson easily, 6-0, 6-1. In the second round after a 6-0 easy first-set win, the pair found themselves in a tough matchup in the second set against Montoursville’s Cole Snyder and Mason Fry that the Bulldog duo eventually won, 7-4.

My string broke, that didn’t help,” Hensler said with a laugh. “I’m not blaming the equipment.”

“They were also playing a lot better in the first set,” Paulhamus said. “I think we were a little surprised in the beginning there. But we still came out (with a win).”

The pair know that entering Monday’s semifinals will be a tough contest against top-seeded David Sommer and Munjaal Mehta of Danville.

“We just have to target a weakness and get in their head. That’s the big thing. Tennis is a mental game,” Hensler said.

And for Paulhamus, he knows that they’re the top seed for a reason.

“They’re both good,” Paulhamus said. “They play well together; they played a lot together. I think we just try to find a weakness and exploit it.”

While Sommer and Mehta play very well together, so do Paulhamus and Hensler. The Jersey Shore pair are glad they have chemistry together when they’re on the court and know what one another’s best strengths are to play with.

“We’re both quick and we have that positive mindset that keeps us through the losses,” Hensler said. 

“I think we’re both very equal, so they can’t really target one player,” Paulhamus added. “I think we both have a lot of hustle and just never quit.”

Jersey Shore’s other doubles team on Saturday fell in the second round of the tournament. Luke Sarge and Abram Paulhamus earned a 6-0, 6-0 win over North Penn-Liberty’s Ayden Deitrick and Toby Nolt, but lost to Loyalsock’s Elijah Lin and Nathaniel DePrenda in the second round, 6-4, 6-3, just missing out on a chance at the quarterfinals.

This year has been one of Jersey Shore’s best in program history. A week ago, Ryder Fink became Jersey Shore’s first two-time District 4 champion a year after he earned the first title in singles competition for a Jersey Shore player.

The boys tennis team is in the team tournament semifinals.

And for Hensler and Paulhamus? They have a chance to become the first Jersey Shore duo to reach the District 4 doubles finals since 1985, long before either Hensler or Paulhamus were born.

The duo is happy to be making history and be part of an unbelievable postseason run for the Bulldogs.

“t’s a great thing to be part of this team, I don’t know if Jersey Shore has ever had a year this good so it’s great to be a part of it and compete,” Hensler said.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Paulhamus said.

That it is for fans wearing black and orange.

DISTRICT 4 DOUBLES TOURNAMENT

FIRST ROUND

Loyalsock’s David Bjorkman/Ian Bower def. Bloomsburg’s Marc-Alexi Dobbins, 6-0, 6-4; Lewisburg’s Luke Azeredo/Colby Jacob def. Selinsgrove’s Joaquin Basu/Nathan Lauver, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Wellsboro’s Luke Rothermel/Mason Brill def. Muncy’s Michael Howard/Aiden Murphy, 6-2, 6-2; Jersey Shore’s Saul Hensler/Era Paulhamus def. South Williamsport’s David Miller/Levi Jackson, 6-0, 6-1; Montoursville’s Cole Snyder/Mason Fry def. North Penn-Liberty’s Ray Nickerson/Silas Boiywo, 6-2, 6-1; Hughesville’s Kevin Bobak/Luke Ragan def. Milton’s Tevin Reitz/Tobin Storus, 6-4, 6-0; Central Columbia’s David Toscano/Nate Lang def. Towanda’s Emma Ackley/Brody Hennessy, 6-0, 6-0.

Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas/Gio Catino def. Galeton’s Corbin Basile/David Martin, 6-0, 6-2; South Williamsport’s Carson Harris/Dylan Webb def. Milton’s Adam Kerstetter/Cole Blackmon, 6-1, 6-1; Jersey Shore’s Luk Sarge/Abram Paulhamus def. North Penn-Liberty’s Ayden Deitrick/Toby Nolt, 6-0, 6-0; Loyalsock’s Elijah Lin/Nathaniel DePrenda def. Muncy’s Clynt Oden/Alec Noviello, 6-0, 6-0; Selinsgrove’s Lomond Rodgers/McAlister Defazio def. Danville’s Colin Sauers/Donovan Larson, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3; Central Columbia’s Tanner Fensch/Joey Pecora def. Bloomsburg’s Colton Roberts/Pret Patel, 6-0, 6-0; Towanda’s Bayley Poll/Kellen Colton def. Hughesville’s Luke Vermeire/Michael Swales, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6; Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber/Henry Heintzelman def. Wellsboro’s RJ Doughtie/James Doughtie, 6-3, 6-2.

SECOND ROUND

Danville’s David Sommer/Munjaal Mehta def. Loyalscok’s David Bjorkman/Ian Boer, 6-1, 6-1; Wellsboro’s Luke Rothermel/Mason Brill def. Lewisburg’s Luke Azeredo/Colby Jacob, 6-1, 6-0; Jersey Shore’s Saul Hensler/Era Paulhamus def. Montoursville’s Cole Snyder/Mason Fry, 6-0, 7-4; Central Columbia’s David Toscano/Nate Lang def. Hughesville’s Kevin Bobak/Luke Ragan, 6-1, 6-0; Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas/Gio Catino def. South Williamsport’s Carson Harris/Dylan Webb, 6-1, 3-6 (4-7), 6-1; Loyalsock’s Elijah Lin/Nathaniel DePrenda def. Jersey Shore’s Luke Sarge/Abram Paulhamus, 6-4, 6-3; Selinsgrove’s Lomond Rodgers/McAlister Defazio def. Central Columbia’s Tanner Fensch/Joey Pecora, 6-3, 6-2; Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber/Henry Heintzelman def. Towanda’s Bayley Poll/Kellen Colton, 6-4, 6-4.

QUARTERFINALS

Danville’s David Sommer/Munjaal Mehta def. Wellsboro’s Luke Rothermel/Mason Brill, 6-1, 6-3; Jersey Shore’s Saul Hensler/Ezra Paulhamus def. Central Columbia’s David Toscano/Nate Lang, 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 7-5; Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas/Gio Catino def. Loyalsock’s Elijah Lin/Nathaniel DePrenda, 6-4, 6-1; Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber/Henry Heintzelman de. Selinsgrove’s Lomond Rodgers/McAlister DeFazio, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

SEMIFINALS

(Monday, 1 p.m. at Central PA Tenis Center)

Danville’s David Sommer/Munjaal Mehta vs. Jersey Shore’s Saul Hensler/Ezra Paulhamus; Montoursville’s Teli Bobotas/Gio Catino vs. Lewisburg’s Canyon Swartzentruber/Henry Heintzelman.