Tennis preview: Leon boys, Chiles girls are favorites

History made and history missed.

Both serve as the undercurrents motivating this year’s two local favorites for the spring 2016 tennis season.

A year ago, the Leon boys tennis team finished as the FHSAA Class 3A state runner-up. For the Chiles girls team, it lost 4-3 in the regional finals and missed out on a state tournament it felt it should have been in.

Time passed has provided perspective towards Leon’s accomplishment.

“It’s our highest finish in school history and I don’t know how many teams from north of Gainesville have ever done something like that,” Lions coach Kevin Record said. “It was a really proud moment for me. That group of kids loved tennis, loved to compete and didn’t back down from anybody. It was a really fun ride. It was a really special time.

“Sometimes you don’t realize how big it was until you step away from it. Would you like to win whole thing? Yeah, but a second is really, really huge.”

Time passed has provided an infusion of fresh energy for Chiles to get over its final hurdle.

“Yes, the goal is to get past regional finals this year, but the ultimate goal is to win a state championship,” third-year Timberwolves coach Owen Long said. “Of course at the state tournament there are teams that have worked as hard as we have and the competition levels out, but I think this is a state championship team.”

In the early going, both teams are undefeated. Leon sits at 11-0 on the boys side and Chiles girls are 7-0. The city championships arrive in two weeks at FSU’s Speicher Tennis Complex.

“This is probably the best start we’ve had, if you compare it to last year,” said Long, whose team last year won a city title and the school’s first district title in 10 years. “We beat Leon 7-0, beat Niceville 7-0, and Niceville beat us last year in the regional finals.”

The Timberwolves’ No. 1, Ashley Tang, is now a sophomore and more seasoned after a first season of high school tennis. Chiles has gained a new No. 2, talented freshman Gracie Wilson— sophomore brother Matt is Chiles’ No. 2 and even older brother Brian Wilson was Leon’s No. 2 last year.

Junior Anna Vinson, senior Kristin Kasimati—the No. 1 for her first two years— and currently undefeated freshman Judy Wang round out 3-4-5. All said, anything short of a state tournament would leave a bad taste in the Timberwolves’ mouths.

“It’s a disappointment if we don’t make it, yeah,” Long said. “It’s one thing for me to say it. It’s another thing for them to believe it. They set three goals this year: Go undefeated, win a city championship and make the state tournament.

“They’ve set the bar high. It’s not me. We met at the beginning of the year and they set the goals.”

For Leon, Record lost Wilson, Brennan Abramowitz and Ronnie Nicholson, but the reshuffle has 2015 All-Big Bend Player of the Year Will Stone dropping to No. 2 after Drew Brown moved up from No. 3 to No. 1.

The question now is whether three key returning players, including Matt Stout, can lead Leon back to that same point to do it all over again.

“Yes. That 1-2 punch— Will is probably the best (No.) 2 I’ve had in 14 years,” Record said. “Drew has become a man. He’s become fearless. And he’ll tell you that last year he played in fear sometimes, especially the state tournament was a growing process for him. He had a chance to win his spot, was in command of that match, and I think he’ll tell you he was fearful and couldn’t close the door.

“But I don’t see that fear this year. I see a guy that wants to bring it on.”

Brown’s and Stone’s styles mesh together to form a top doubles team.

“With me and Will in our trial matches, it was really close, like two points every time,” Brown said. “We could interchange 1-2 at any time. Stout worked hard last year and he has a bigger role at 3. It’s a matter of how he can perform.”

Last year’s junior varsity No. 1 Marshall Murphy is at No. 5, while senior Scott Epting will be attacking the net at No. 4 and pairing his old-school style well for doubles with Stout.

“Me and Will are really trying to be role models to the younger guys now that we’re seniors,” Brown said. “They look up to us a bit. We try to help them with the pressure aspect and what we have to do this year to make it to state.”

All said, while it was an impressive performance by Leon to bring home a state runner-up trophy last year, it may not be done adding to the trophy case.

And unlike last year, it may not be 3-4-5 and No. 2 doubles that score the requisite points.

“We’ve got two guys at 1 and 2 that are very, very good,” Record said. “We’ve got the Big Bend Player of the Year at 2. I like our chances at 1, 2 and 1 dubs. That’s three points. Now we have four chances to get one point. I like our chances there, even at the state level.”

Maclay aims for another state appearance

The Maclay girls tennis is off to a fast start at 10-, having only a loss to top-quality opponent Chiles.

The Marauders have seen the growth of Mary Kathryn Healy to becoming a legit No. 1 in town, while No. 2 Daniela Schneider will give anyone a run for their money. Factor in experienced Carson Stratton at No. 3 and Maclay coach John Vinson feels his girls can make another state tournament run.

“Mary Kathryn earned the No. 1 spot last year and then got injured and was injured most of the year with an abdominal tear,” Vinson said. “We had to make some adjustments to our lineup. She’s playing real well right now. Carson is playing well right now coming back of an Achilles strain. Daniela has always been ready for the challenge. She’d be good at 1, 2 or 3.”

With a number of matches played without his top three, Vinson’s been able to work junior Elspeth Suber in at every position above her current No. 4.

Without hesitation, Vinson views this Marauders girls group as better than last year’s, which took fourth at the state tournament.

“We’re trying to get everyone on the same page healthwise,” Vinson said. “Our goal is always to win city’s. I’d like to have a mid-season peak right at that time. And then get back to work after spring break and have another peak right at the time of districts and regionals. Hopefully then we can get to state again and improve upon last year.”

Photo Gallery:

Don’t forget about...

... Lincoln senior Paige Nicholson. You may not see her dazzling on the court at the moment as she shakes off a minor ankle injury, but expect the 2015 All-Big Bend Player of the Year to quickly return to form when she does.

Nicholson was 10-3 at No. 1 singles a year ago and reached the state semifinals at No. 1 doubles with partner Anna McDonald, who also returns for her junior season.

Quotable:

“He’s got a big leap going from 5 to 3. He has to be more assertive. It was enough at 5 to be a grinder and keep the ball in play. He wore everyone out he played until he got to the state finals. Incredible. But now he’s got to go win some more matches. He’s got to enforce his will on opponents. It’s not enough for him to be a big-time counterpuncher, which he is, he’s got to finish some guys off. And he will.” – Leon coach Kevin Record, on No. 3 Matt Stout

“We have a lot of young kids, a lot of ninth graders and sophomores. It’s just getting them to play in the offseason, play a lot of matches to gain experience. It’ll be key for the years after that and that’ll help grow us. … It’s definitely tough (at Lincoln). Think of the demographics, this is a hard part of town. There’s not a lot of tennis. They either have to drive to the north side of town for the elite programs that Maclay and Chiles work with. And Leon works with Kevin (Record) or Seminole High Performance. That’s the battle I face. It’s a young sport over on this side of town. In the past there’s been a few families, but I do think it’s growing over here and the interest is growing. You can tell that just from the number of kids we had turn out this year. It was way more than last year and that was a good thing I was glad to see. We’ve had ninth graders that have worked with city programs for the last couple years, hopefully play varsity next year and just continue to get better.” – Lincoln coach Lauren McCreless

“It definitely should be between Chiles and Maclay (for city), but if Paige is healthy for Lincoln then they’re very capable of getting three wins at the top with her and Anna McDonald. They get one other win and that’s a match. Of course that’s more of a duals format.” – Maclay coach John Vinson

Look out for...

BOYS

Chiles: Josh Macri, Matt Wilson; Florida High: Brandon Cruz; John Paul II: Lee Cowles; Leon: Drew Brown, Will Stone, Matt Stout; Lincoln: Evan McDonald, Ryan McDonald; Maclay: William Perrigan, Andrew Peipers

GIRLS

Chiles: Ashley Tang, Gracie Wilson, Anna Vinson, Kristin Kasimati; Florida High: Charlotte Guimares; John Paul II: Sara Grace Rooney; Leon: Jenny Kroll, Leta Ashebo; Lincoln: Paige Nicholson, Anna McDonald; Maclay: Mary Kathryn Healy, Daniela Schneider, Carson Stratton