It was a Match.com kind of match – singles only.
Tennessee High cruised in its first-ever AAA boys team tennis state tournament appearance Tuesday afternoon, knocking off Houston 4-0 to reach the state final without even getting to its dominant doubles lineup.
“We just came out pumped and wanted to sweep it in singles and get the job done quick, make a statement,” said Vikings senior Robert Fletcher.
With enough courts to play all five singles matches simultaneously at Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro, Tenn., the only drama this time for Tennessee High was seeing which four of its players would finish out their victories first.
Sophomore Nic Wilson got the Vikings’ first point on the board with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at No. 2 singles and then turned to cheering on his teammates.
Wilson said he was determined to complete a flawless performance to set the tone for the rest of the team.
“Just an all-out solid match,” he said.
Owen Rockett at No. 3 and Seth Buckmaster at No. 4 were the next to finish off straight-set victories for the Vikings, leaving No. 1 Conner Knox and No. 5 Fletcher in a race for the clinching fourth point.
Knox ended up polishing off his 6-2, 6-2 win just seconds before Fletcher closed out a 7-5, 6-0 victory of his own.
While it was Knox’s win that locked up a berth in today’s finals for Tennessee High, Fletcher said he was happy to get a victory in his slot anyway after he wasn’t able to pick up a point in the Vikings’ tense 4-3 triumph over Knoxville West in last week’s sectionals.
“I was kind of bummed out last time,” Fletcher said. “I didn’t really feel like I could celebrate not getting my point.”
Vikings coach Jennie Gardner said she was impressed with her team’s focus Tuesday.
“I think they’ve learned to take every team and every match seriously,” she said.
Having already made school history simply by becoming the first ever boys tennis team to reach the state tournament, the Vikings now have a shot today at winning the first team state title in any sport at Tennessee High since 1979.
The Vikings likely won’t have such an easy go of it in the final as they’ll be matched up with defending state champion Brentwood, which also picked up a 4-0 win in its semifinal.
Rockett said the pressure has both eased and risen now that the Vikings are one step away from a state title.
“On and off,” he said. “Off in the way that we’ve made it the farthest anybody’s ever gone so far so we’ve made an accomplishment for the school no matter what. But on in the fact I believe we can really beat this team. It’s just a matter of doing it.”
Gardner acknowledged that Brentwood will be a tough challenge, but said her team won’t concede anything.
“We’ve been talking about Brentwood all season,” she said. “We are well aware of who Brentwood has and so now we’re here.
“I think we were counted out a little bit maybe, maybe a little bit the underdog [even] against Knox West. You can’t ever count out the underdog.”
nhubbard@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Hubbard_BHCSprt | (276) 645-2543
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