Time seems to stand still as George Freeman watches his first doubles tennis team. With the score six to six, a nerve-wracking tiebreaker ensues. The ball goes back and forth, always in motion. The score is five to five, and only seven points are needed to win.
Coach Freeman leaps out of his chair. They have done it! Johanna Iest, ’05, and Amanda Dring, ’06, are the number one doubles team of the West Sierra League [WSL].
“Competition was very good at the tournament,” Coach Freeman said, “especially in doubles. Fowler put their number one and two girls into a double pair, but our number three and four girls beat them.”
The girls conquered the courts at the WSL League Tournament on Oct. 23 at Clovis West. The tournament included schools such as Firebaugh, Fowler, Caruthers and Liberty.
For eight years in a row, the girls’ tennis team has won 117 consecutive league victories in the regular season.
“Ashley [Sherr ’06] won first place singles,” Freeman said, “and Hillary [Kell ’05] came in second in singles, Amanda and Johanna won in first doubles, and Katie [Jacobsen ’05] and Kaley [Hearnsberger ’06] came in third in doubles. So we did very well in the tournament.”
Though the team coasted through most of the season, San Joaquin Memorial, a Division II team, was a challenge. FC defeated SJM, 6-3, on Sept. 15. Since the 1997/98 school year, FC’s overall record is 133-6.
“I played the number one from Liberty, and she’s very good,” Sherr said. “She beat every other number one player in our league, except me.”
Team members were forced to go head-to-head with each other in the finals. Sherr and Kell played a tiring match with the final game being won by a tiebreaker score 7-5.
In the end, Sherr took the match, but the team still has two events on the horizon: the CIF Individual Tournament and the CIF Division 5 Valley team Championships.
The first match for the CIF Individual Tournament will be on Oct. 30, with Kell playing Stacy Schultz from Taft at 10 A.M. Sherr has a bye in the opening round. This tournament will be held in Bakersfield on Oct. 30, Nov. 5-6 at the Laurel Glen Tennis Club for the singles’ matches and at the Bakersfield Racquet Club for doubles’ matches.
For directions to both clubs, contact Freeman at 299-1695, ext. 122 or call the Laurel Glen Tennis Club at 833-3740. Maps are also available in the junior high office.
“In the Individual Tournament, we will be going up against teams from all leagues–big and small–including Clovis,” Freeman said. “I think our girls will surprise a lot of people with how well they’ll do.”
The individual doubles’ matches will also begin on Oct. 30, as Jacobson and Hearnsberger will play their first match against a team from Dickerson Golden Valley High. Iest and Dring have a bye in the first round.
The campus team will also compete for the CIF Central Section Division 5 team tennis playoffs beginning Nov. 2 against Firebaugh. This tournament will be played at Copper River Country Club and continue on Nov. 6 against the winner of the Mission Prep and Bakersfield Christian.
Watch the announcements for more information or call Freeman at the listed number. He can also be contacted at [email protected].
