Like it did during the regular season, the Friendswood High School tennis team dominated District 24-4A’s team tennis postseason, as well.
Coach David Cook’s Mustangs placed every starting team member on the first team of the league’s all-district elite squad.
“I hoped it would work out this way,” Cook, now in his second year, said. “I feel it is a strong statement about our team.”
At the same time, coach Buzz Sawyer’s Texas City Stingarees had their share of all-district picks.
Mustangs Shine
Friendswood’s first-teamers started off in the doubles, where each of the seven teams was recognized.
On the girls’ side of the court, Cindy and Mindy Tiu were honored at the No. 1 position, followed by Caity James and Lindsey Watson at No. 2, and Katie Purdum and Carson Stanch at No. 3.
The boys’ honorees included No. 1 Travis Runge and Cody Westphal, No. 2 Chase Crouse and Erik Linde, and No. 3 Matt Kibikas and Chris Labra.
Also selected to the first team was the Mustangs’ mixed doubles team of Sarah Westphal and Kent Tollette.
In singles, Friendswood girls chosen to the first team were Mindy Tiu at No. 1, Cindy Tiu at No. 2, Purdum at No. 4 and Watson at No. 6.
James and Sarah Westphal were chosen to the second team at the Nos. 3 and 5 singles positions, respectively.
As for the Mustangs’ boys, all six were named to the first team, headed by Cody Westphal at No. 1. Also chosen were Linde at No. 2, Runge at No. 3, Crouse at No. 4, Kibikas at No. 5 and Labra at No. 6.
“We have really solid players from top to bottom of our ladder, and that shows in our results,” Cook said of his No. 16 state-ranked perennial district champions, the Region III-4A runners-up to Montgomery for the last two years.
“We had 12 boys and girls go undefeated in all of their district matches,” he added. “Two others lost only once in our entire district season. We play with high goals and expectations.”
Stings Shine, Too
Texas City, which finished fourth in the final team standings, grabbed 10 spots on the district’s second team.
In girls’ doubles, the Stings’ honorees included Lindsey Ramirez and Brenda Vy at No. 2.
The boys’ doubles honorees were Matt Guss and Taylor Hayes at No. 1, along with Valentin Mussett and Matt Steinbach at No. 3.
Also, Melanie Grover was selected to the girls’ singles list at No. 1, while Hayes, Mussett and Steinbach were chosen at the boys’ Nos. 2, 3 and 6 singles positions, respectively.
Brains To Go With It
Friendswood and Texas City each had two players named to 24-4A’s all-academic team.
Mustangs chosen were Cindy Tiu and Cody Westphal. Meanwhile, Stings selected were Courtney Tyler and Guss.
Convention Center
The Texas Tennis Coaches Association’s annual convention and clinic gets under way Friday and lasts through Sunday morning at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch and T Bar M Resort in New Braunfels.
Literally teeing off the event will be a four-player scramble golf tournament, starting at 7:30 a.m. Friday at the Landa Park Golf Course.
Coaches interested in playing in the golf tournament have until Tuesday to sign up. The entry fee, which includes green fees, is $32.
To enter, contact tournament director David Mueller at dmueller(at)newbraunfels.txed.net.
New attractions at the convention will feature early bird specials and a fashion show before the start of the various clinics, which will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, so coaches are urged to sign in early.
Registration begins at 9 a.m.
Later that evening, starting at 6 p.m., the TTCA Hall of Fame banquet will be held, when Betty Sue (Hagerman) Welch, Carey Caldwell and Mel Carter are to be inducted. The six “Coach of the Year” honorees, junior high school through Class 5A, also will be presented.
Then the clinics will continue Saturday and Sunday.
This year’s keynote speaker and clinician is Tom Gullikson.
Who’s Your King Daddy?
The Bay Area Racquet Club in Clear Lake City will be playing host to an open junior tennis tournament the weekend of Dec. 11-13.
Entry deadline is Saturday for the King Daddy Year End Slam.
To register, go to http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/play
erregistration. The tournament identification number is 809681809.
For information, call 281-488-7026.
Tip Of The Day
From baseline to baseline, the ball slows down to almost 60 percent.
Therefore, make your final groundstroke adjustments after the bounce of the ball.
Preparing too early will throw you off.
Manuel Moreno Jr., head tennis coach at Pasadena J. Frank Dobie High School, is the Spring Branch Independent School District’s Denene Bammel and District 22-5A “Coach of the Year” for 2009. E-mail him at mmjtenicon(at)aol.com.
