A 23-0 senior season doesn’t tell the full story of the impact that Rajveer Gujral had on the Half Hollow Hills boys badminton team.

Gujral, a five-time Suffolk County individual finalist who completed the three-peat as the Suffolk singles champion this May, leaves Hills as the program’s most prolific player. He joined the team as an eighth grader and finished with an overall record of 108-4.

Two of those losses came in the Long Island championship against Nassau powerhouse Jericho. Gujral’s only two losses in Suffolk came against his older brother and teammate, Jaiveer, in the Suffolk individual tournament.

Badminton runs in the Gujral family. Their father, Bunty Gujral, holds years of competitive badminton experience. That, combined with a competitive sibling rivalry where Rajveer and Jaiveer continued to push each other, is why coach Bill Davey said it was clear from the get-go that another Gujral would be dominating in Suffolk.

“Coming in as an eighth grader, he stepped right in and had no problem fitting in and competing with the best,” Davey said.

Rajveer was the top option for a RedColts program that won 17 consecutive games this season en route to a Suffolk title and Long Island championship appearance. He helped Hills secure its lone point in the LI team final.

“He wanted to go out and win his last match, playing in the Long Island championship,” Davey said. “He wanted to prove, not only to himself but to everybody, that he’s one of the best to do it so far.”

Watching Hills' badminton matches provided tangible examples of the admiration that the badminton community had for Gujral.

“They all cheer him now, even the people who have to play him,” Davey said. “It’s interesting to see, and it’s special. It’s nice to know that people have taken notice of what he has accomplished.”

Li placed second at the Nassau individual tournament despite battling severe calf cramps. He went 17-0 in the fall season and secured the Hawks’ lone point in their county championship match against Jericho.

Xia, a six-year varsity player, won the Nassau individual champion and concluded his senior season with a 14-3 record. Xia, who will attend Emory University in the fall, leaves behind a lasting impact on the Rebels' boys badminton team.

The success of the Jericho boys badminton team can be taken for granted, but players like Zhang turned expectations into reality. Zhang, who went 11-3 as the Jayhawks’ first singles choice, placed third at the county individual tournament after losing to eventual champion Xia in the semifinals. Coach Anthony LaRosa praised Zhang’s ability “to lead by example on and off the court.”

The first doubles team won the Nassau doubles title, concluding the fall season with a 14-0 record. Coach LaRosa described the duo as “the definition of student athletes. As hard as they work on the court, they do in the classroom as well.”

The two share a badminton court and a last name, but although they aren’t related, they sure have good chemistry. Despite being the second doubles team for Hills and seeded 12th in the county individual tournament, Eric Kim and Ryan Kim won 23 of their 24 matches en route to the Suffolk doubles crown. Their only loss came in the Long Island championship against Jericho as they helped lead Hills to a 17-1 record.

The first doubles team went 18-4 and placed second at the Suffolk individual tournament. Daniel and Jerry also aren’t related, but coach Bill Davey noted the strong connection the duo has as seen through their communication during matches, saying “without that chemistry I don’t think they would’ve been as successful as they were.”

A year after losing the county championship to Commack, Half Hollow Hills went undefeated (17-0) in Suffolk en route to a Long Island championship appearance. Davey oversaw a lineup that hit all expectations and then some. Hills had first-place finishers in singles and doubles at the Suffolk individual tournament, and its second doubles team finished as the runner-up.