Graduations don’t doom Grizzlies
Team doesn’t win league, but still competitive
TJ Lockwood was one of a number a talented young players on Wadsworth’s boys tennis team this spring. Photo by BRUCE BILLOW
Being a high school coach means becoming accustomed to the ebbs and flows of enrollment. A talented class arrives, shines in its moment on the stage and then graduates, leaving an inexperienced underclass in its wake.
For Wadsworth’s boys tennis coach Christa Halicki, however, the last few seasons were a perfect storm of tidal proportions.
Winning the Suburban League National Conference in 2016, the Grizzlies saw all but one starter depart, leaving the team with a roster overflowing with youthfulness, forcing the coach to experiment while scrambling to fill roster slots.
Not this offseason, however.
Despite the players’ relative inexperience, they continued to be very competitive, finishing with an 11-7 mark, including going 4-3 in the Suburban League National.
This means that this summer, Halicki can rest somewhat easier, knowing that her team will return for another season with one more year of experience under its collective belt.
Actually, make that another two seasons.
“We are not losing one player this season,” Halicki said. “After graduating six of seven last season, we refilled our lineup with seven sophomores.”
And those are some talented sophomores that should move up in the league’s pecking order come 2018.
First and foremost is TJ Lockwood, the sole holdover from the 2016 championship squad.
“There was no designated MVP by the league or at our banquet, but TJ Lockwood absolutely stepped up this season moving from third singles to first singles and competed against the toughest players in the area,” Halicki said. “He was recognized as second-team all-Suburban League. TJ was a sectional finalist with Carter Moore in doubles and just had a very impressive season at a very tough position.”
Speaking of Moore, he was no slouch, either, playing in several positions for the Grizzlies.
“Carter Moore had an incredible season at second singles,” Halicki said. “He went 15-8 overall and had very impressive wins versus very experienced players from both Highland and Hudson. He played a couple first singles matches and a few first doubles matches as well.”
Moving from singles to doubles in the Division I Akron/Medina Sectional tournament, Lockwood and Moore made short work of teams from Brunswick and Nordonia, recording 6-2, 6-1 wins over each. One victory from districts, the duo met Hudson’s team of Nicci Polifrone and Sam Yurak in the quarterfinals, losing to the eventual sectional champs.
The other returnees are Will Virgin, Sam Hanna, Noah Porter, Demitri Laikos and Beau Casey.
Although they are a young bunch, Halicki says they stepped up on the courts.
“I was very impressed by the energy and enthusiasm our team showed this season,” Halicki said. Six of the seven were playing varsity for the first time, yet they handled the competition with competitiveness and an eagerness to win. We had a great 4-1 win vs Medina, a close 3-2 win vs Kent Roosevelt, and a number of other wins that stand out where people played in new positions or with a new partner and left it all on the court.”
Never one to rest on her team’s laurels, Halicki said there is room for improvement that must be exploited should Wadsworth wish to garner its second league title.
“Every player on our team knows that we have a lot of growing to do both individually and as a team,” she said. “We need to improve our consistency at the baseline, our aggressiveness at the net, and our power on our first serves. If we continue to improve those areas, we will be in a good position for next season.”
For Wadsworth’s boys tennis coach Christa Halicki, however, the last few seasons were a perfect storm of tidal proportions.
Winning the Suburban League National Conference in 2016, the Grizzlies saw all but one starter depart, leaving the team with a roster overflowing with youthfulness, forcing the coach to experiment while scrambling to fill roster slots.
Not this offseason, however.
Despite the players’ relative inexperience, they continued to be very competitive, finishing with an 11-7 mark, including going 4-3 in the Suburban League National.
This means that this summer, Halicki can rest somewhat easier, knowing that her team will return for another season with one more year of experience under its collective belt.
Actually, make that another two seasons.
“We are not losing one player this season,” Halicki said. “After graduating six of seven last season, we refilled our lineup with seven sophomores.”
And those are some talented sophomores that should move up in the league’s pecking order come 2018.
First and foremost is TJ Lockwood, the sole holdover from the 2016 championship squad.
“There was no designated MVP by the league or at our banquet, but TJ Lockwood absolutely stepped up this season moving from third singles to first singles and competed against the toughest players in the area,” Halicki said. “He was recognized as second-team all-Suburban League. TJ was a sectional finalist with Carter Moore in doubles and just had a very impressive season at a very tough position.”
Speaking of Moore, he was no slouch, either, playing in several positions for the Grizzlies.
“Carter Moore had an incredible season at second singles,” Halicki said. “He went 15-8 overall and had very impressive wins versus very experienced players from both Highland and Hudson. He played a couple first singles matches and a few first doubles matches as well.”
Moving from singles to doubles in the Division I Akron/Medina Sectional tournament, Lockwood and Moore made short work of teams from Brunswick and Nordonia, recording 6-2, 6-1 wins over each. One victory from districts, the duo met Hudson’s team of Nicci Polifrone and Sam Yurak in the quarterfinals, losing to the eventual sectional champs.
The other returnees are Will Virgin, Sam Hanna, Noah Porter, Demitri Laikos and Beau Casey.
Although they are a young bunch, Halicki says they stepped up on the courts.
“I was very impressed by the energy and enthusiasm our team showed this season,” Halicki said. Six of the seven were playing varsity for the first time, yet they handled the competition with competitiveness and an eagerness to win. We had a great 4-1 win vs Medina, a close 3-2 win vs Kent Roosevelt, and a number of other wins that stand out where people played in new positions or with a new partner and left it all on the court.”
Never one to rest on her team’s laurels, Halicki said there is room for improvement that must be exploited should Wadsworth wish to garner its second league title.
“Every player on our team knows that we have a lot of growing to do both individually and as a team,” she said. “We need to improve our consistency at the baseline, our aggressiveness at the net, and our power on our first serves. If we continue to improve those areas, we will be in a good position for next season.”