Wildcats Team Tennis Coach Tony Martinez says his team basically beat themselves with mistakes in a 19-0 loss to Whitehouse in a bi-district match at LeTourneau University in Longview Tuesday.
He says his players needed to be more aggressive at the net and needed to angle there returns instead of hitting them right back at an opponent. He says the Wildcats served well.
Coach Martinez says he tried several strategic moves in an attempt to win some points. He says he shuffled some girls’ doubles teams placement and paired Jeauxleigh Cantu with Alex Romero in mixed doubles. Despite not winning a point, Coach Martinez says the Wildcats were competitive in matches.
He says Whitehouse did their job and were just the better team. Coach Martinez says the Whitehouse Coach Shelby May agreed to play all matches to the finish and to play best two out of three sets instead of to shorter 8 point pro sets.
He says May played tennis at LeTourneau and that helped to reserve courts there Tuesday after courts at Van proved to be too wet and cold. After a 7 a.m. start for the Wildcats Tuesday, they were finally able to conclude their bi-district match at 6:30 p.m.
Despite the loss, Coach Martinez says the playoff experience will be good for his young team that has only one senior. He says his team is expecting to have a playoff game again next year and the teams’ goal is to reach the second round of the playoffs next season.
Due to the threat of coronavirus and another possible shut down, Coach Martinez says his players have agreed to take a couple of weeks off and then get an early start on spring tennis in November.
Coach Martinez says he continues to work to build the tennis program and he adds the future for tennis in Sulphur Springs is bright.