LAKELAND — The McKeel boys tennis team is a veteran team after losing just one player from last year. It also is a young team as the entire team is made up of underclassmen, and head coach Benjamin Arnold called his players a new team after seeing how much they improved.
McKeel can be some or all of that, but there is no doubt about one thing. In terms of McKeel boys tennis history, this year’s group is a unique team after qualifying for the state tournament as a team for the first time in school history.
McKeel earned that honor after defeating Citrus, 4-2, on Thursday afternoon in the Class 2A, Region 4 finals at the Beerman Family Tennis Center. The Wildcats will begin play on Monday in the Class 2A state tournament at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs.
“It was a big goal,” McKeel junior Davin Twiss. “Last year, I was able to go to states by myself (as district champion), but the whole team going there this year is a really big accomplishment. We worked so hard to get here and I’m just really proud of it. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
While his players were hoping to play Middleton, having previously played the Tigers, Arnold wasn’t disappointed that Citrus was the oppoenent.
“I was just looking at the numbers for Citrus, and they seemed like the weaker team even though they’re more consistent,” Arnold said. “And so I was definitely hoping for this matchup.”
Twiss led the way with wins at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. The doubles matches were played first, and the two teams split. Twiss and Keith Kopp defeated Dominic Hensley and Garrett Wirthlin, 4-1, 4-2, while Holy Names’ Carson Fulkerson and Trenton Roddenberry defeated Colton Smith and Kyle Kopp, 4-2, 4-1, at No. 2.
In singles play, Twiss defeated Hensley, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 1, and Abram Fallow defeated Holy Names’ Trace Fitzpatrick, 6-0 6-2, at No. 5. Keith Kopp’s 6-0, 6-2 win over Carson Fulkerson at No. 2 clinched the team win for McKeel.
Twiss did his job on the court with his two wins, but at the No. 1 singles player, he said he feels his role goes beyond his play.
“I don’t feel the responsibility on the court,” he said. “It’s more of a leadership position. I want to be the loudest and the most responsible. I want to get my guys hyped. I want to get them into this match. I don’t want to be the quietest. I want to be the loudest.”
Of course, it helps even more when he doing his job on the court, and Twiss is peaking at the right time.
“I would say that’s one of the best matches I’ve played in a while, so I’m really happy,” Twiss said “So I hope I can continue that into states. State is a big tournament. Hopefully, we can win a round or two and go far.”
It will be a new experience for McKeel as a team.
“I really don’t know what to expect going in,” Arnold said. “I know the competition is so fierce at state. I’m just happy that we are there, and we have kind of reached this benchmark.”
McKeel girls return to state
Briley Davis went the state tournament for the first time as an individuals bracket qualifier with Jada Hutto at No. 1 doubles. She when for the second time when she and the entire team qualified.
The McKeel junior will return for the third time as she led the Wildcats over Tampa Holy Names, 4-2, in the 2A, Region 4 finals, getting wins at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles.
The Wildcats will begin play on Monday in the Class 2A state tournament at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs.
“This was our No. 1 goal, definitely,” Davis said. “We’ve wanted to go to states as a team, and we did last year so we wanted to make it happen again.”
McKeel led 2-0 after doubles. Davis and Ciara Smith defeated Ashleigh Carpenter and Caroline Carr, 4-1, 5-3, at No. 1, and Rylee Miller and Paige Shoukry, 4-1, 4-0, at No. 2
Davis gave McKeel its third win by defeating Carpenter, 6-0, 6-1, at No.1 singles. Aniya Kendrick clinched the team victory by defeating Miller, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 4.
Holy Names had two wins. Carr defeated Smith, 6-2, 6-2, at No.2, and Margaret Provenzano defeated Ashley Opderbeck, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 5.
McKeel’s Leigh Johnson and Holy Names’ Kate Wilary were locked in a tight match at No. 3 when McKeel clinched.
While Davis has experience playing at the start tournament, this is her first time playing at No. 1 singles. She moved up to the spot after Hutto graduated.
“I think it just feels the same to me,” Davis said. “I’m just like so used to playing.”
Davis is looking for her first win at the state tournament.
“I definitely want to take each match seriously to get to the next and see how it goes,” she said.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Clean sweep: McKeel boys, girls advance to 2A state tennis tournment
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
