The Newish Format

For the first time in several years, Kentucky has separated its high school singles and doubles state tournaments from the team championship. I’ve been fortunate enough to be an assistant coach at a school that has won its past 4 regional titles. In recent previous seasons, regional and state titles were awarded to the school that won the most singles and doubles matches in the regional or state singles and doubles tournaments with each school at most placing two doubles teams and two singles players into the main draws. This year, the singles and doubles events were held, but we also had a regional tournament built around dual matches between schools featuring 3 singles and 2 doubles courts. If a school wins 3 courts, it advances. We won our regional so we made it to the state team tournament held today and tomorrow at the University of Kentucky’s Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. This team format has been used in the past, but never during any of my 12 years of coaching or assistant coaching high school tennis at Saint Henry District High School, Notre Dame Academy, or Saint Xavier High School. So it is new to me.

I am a lifelong UK fan, but their current logo has too much of a ThunderCats feel to it

Late Week First

Our #1 singles player and #1 doubles team won Kentucky’s 2024 7th Region Tennis Titles. The 7th region is one of two Louisville-centered regions in Kentucky’s sixteen athletic regions. Our #1 singles player battled through his first 4 rounds including an impressive 6-2, 6-3 quarterfinal win vs. a 2023 singles semifinalist. He was beaten 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 in the state singles semifinal in a 2 hour 15 minute battle. Our #1 doubles team needed super tiebreaks to win their round of 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal matches. They lost to the defending state champions 6-0, 6-1 in the final. The championship doubles team was one of the best doubles teams I have seen at this level. On the whole, our players won 9 matches and lost 2 matches. All three of these players were recognized as all-state performers.

Day 1 of 2: Holding Form, Sentimentality, and Learning to Stop

The sixteen regional champions are given a random draw in this tennis event just like Kentucky does for its high school basketball and volleyball tournaments. I sat on our #1 singles court in our round of 16 dual match. Our top player won 6-0, 6-0 on the same court where his 6-7, 3-6 loss occurred last Thursday.

In our quarterfinal dual match, I sat on our 2nd singles court. This match featured a 9th grader (rising 10th grader) who has attended our school’s tennis camp the previous 3 summers. He played 2nd doubles in the first dual match and got a 6-0, 6-1 win in his state tournament debut. Seeing his growth as a player not only this season but also from our camp setting the previous few summers was fun for me. It was even nostalgic. He led 6-1, 4-0 when play stopped because our school had won 3 courts. It is odd for me to see a match stop, but from a health and scheduling standpoint, it makes sense to me.

We’re through two rounds and face the defending state champions and tournament favorites tomorrow in the semifinal round. We will aim to pull an upset and reach the state finals later in the day even if the odds are against us.