NC Boys’ varsity tennis: Great end to a growing season
Despite the heckling from Brookwood students, which NC athletic director Matt Williams immediately addressed, senior Reed Walker (serving) and freshman Payton Stack (net) fought through a hard match against their opponents, representing their fellow teammates and school. “Watching my teammates play always motivates them. Reed and Payton are amazing players and I’m so happy to have them competing with me. I’m going to miss Reed and all of the other seniors, but I’m confident that Payton and I will maintain the NC tennis legacy,” freshman varsity player Lorenzo Alarcon said.
May 14, 2019
The varsity boys tennis team played Brookwood high school in the 7AAAAAAA state championships on Tuesday, May 8. With making it to the state playoffs, the NC boys anticipated top tier competition, and the Brookwood varsity boys tennis team fulfilled those expectations.
After a series of long and emotional matches, Brookwood took line one singles, line one doubles, and finally line two doubles, securing their title as the 2019 state champions, making NC the runner-up. The NC team displayed pristine sportsmanship and quality athleticism throughout their journey to the top, and as the season comes to a close, so do the high school tennis careers of the seniors on the team.
“It’s really been an honor playing with these guys. From day one, we’ve improved each other and we’ve worked hard to get here. I’m going to miss this team, but we finished strong—that’s what matters,” senior varsity tennis player Kaden Barfield said.
Barfield played Thomas Montroy at line one singles, losing at 0-6, 2-6. Senior Reed Walker and freshman Peyton Stack fought through line one doubles against opponents Chase Ruff and Michael Porcelli, losing at 0-6, 3-6. Finally, freshman Lorenzo Alarcon and sophomore Ryan Tuchman gave the audience a nail-biting match to watch when they played opponents Thomas Brookman and Kavin Shankar in line two doubles, eventually losing the match 4-6, 6-7 (7-9).
The NC boys persisted until the last moment, proudly representing their orange and blue colors.
“They did great. I’m so proud of these boys and it’s been so amazing managing them. I’m happy that I was able to be part of the process and watch these guys grow into who they are now,” senior team manager Eva Drobney said.
Though seven varsity players plan to graduate on May 23, the NC team will move forward with their chins up and their racquets even higher. Placing second in the state sets high standards for the NC varsity tennis team of 2020, and the up and coming athletes plan to exceed them.
“I’m so proud of my boys. This is the first time an NC tennis team has made it to states since 2013, and I’m so glad I got to be their coach during this success. We’re going to miss our seniors, but we are going to continue to thrive and become even better players,” head varsity coach Nishmin Porbandarwala said.
