Youth is served

By Staff
Mike Self FCT Sports Editor
RUSSELLVILLE – The Russellville boys tennis team may be young, but as far as coach Jimmy Rea is concerned their berth in the Class 5A state tournament has arrived right on schedule.
"I expected these guys to play like this," Rea said on Monday after the Golden Tigers edged out Huntsville 47-44 to win the Class 5A, Section 6 tournament at Russellville High School. "They took a beating for a couple of years to get to this point."
Russellville's journey to the state tournament (which will take place in Mobile next week) had very humble beginnings.
"When I took over as coach three years ago the boys team hadn't won a set, let alone a match," Rea said. "We started playing a lot of these young kids, guys who don't really play any other sports."
The youth movement has paid major dividends. Russellville is headed to Mobile with a lineup featuring four sophomores (T.J. Drake, John Tyler Hardin, Jacob Hill and Anthony Turner), one freshman (Tyler Malone) and one eighth-grader (Jimmy's son, Kiefer Rea). Alternate Carson Hutchins is also just a freshman.
The Golden Tigers are young, but they are battled-tested thanks to an extremely tough schedule.
"My first year I tried to schedule as many easy matches as I could, aside from our area matches," Rea said. "We went 8-5 that year, and then we went 9-4 last year. This year, I did away with all of those easy matches and tried to put our guys up against the toughest competition we could find. All of the Class 5A state champions from the past five years were on our schedule this season.
"When you get to this point, you want to face as many tough teams as you can. It just makes you better."
Russellville improved to 11-3 in 2006, but two of those losses came to section rival Huntsville. The Golden Tigers got their revenge on the Panthers on Monday.
At the sectional tournament, teams were awarded three points for each doubles match they won and two points for each singles match they won. All six of Russellville's players made it to the tournament finals, and all three of the Golden Tigers' doubles teams also advanced to the championship round.
Each of Russellville's six regulars played both singles and doubles, which was not the case with some of the other teams. As a result, the Golden Tigers' players played five or six matches apiece on a hot day while some of their opponents only played two or three.
"It showed a lot of heart for our guys just to be on the court," Rea said.
Drake won the sectional championship at No. 1 singles, rallying past Chase Kilpatrick of Muscle Shoals 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Kiefer Rea, whose shoulder tendonitis worsened as the day progressed, advanced to the finals at No. 2 singles before falling 2-6, 2-6 to Aaron Lockhart of Muscle Shoals.
Hardin made it to the finals at No. 3 singles, falling 2-6, 1-6 to Huntsville's Conner Roth. Malone, Russellville's No. 4 man, also advanced to the championship round before losing a tough match 4-6, 6-0, 5-7 to Huntsville's Jim Watkins.
Hill lost in the finals at No. 5 singles, falling 3-6, 3-6 to Huntsville's Charlie Aplin, and Turner lost in three sets in the finals at No. 6.
Malone and Turner teamed up to win the sectional title at No. 3 doubles, defeating Athens 6-2, 6-4.
Drake and Hill lost 9-11 in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 1 doubles, and Rea and Hardin lost 5-7, 4-6 in the finals at No. 2 doubles.
Rea's sore shoulder forced him to serve underhanded in the final match.
"Kiefer pretty much just played back and waited for the chance to hit a backhand if he got one," Jimmy Rea said. "John Tyler was basically playing 2-on-1. He looked like Superman out there, chasing down balls all over the court."
Next week's state tournament will be held Wednesday, May 3 through Friday, May 5 in Mobile.