Who says a regular-season meet in boys tennis isn’t serious business?
Or golf or cross country for that matter.
Well, certainly not us.
Last week, we talked about several events on the schedule, but one in particular was the first league tennis matchup between Skyview and Union.
Such a league tennis matchup would also create a matchup between the area’s top two players — Union’s Alex Wallace and Skyview’s Kent Andreasen.
It was a compelling enough matchup that we thought that should be something we’d like to see.
But before sending a reporter out to Skyview High School, I thought it would be wise to make sure Wallace and Andreasen would actually be facing each other.
So I asked Union coach Dave Heitsch, and Heitsch was a little bit cagey with his response.
“I’m not really sure if they will face each other,” Heitsch replied. “With the 4A format of two singles and three doubles, we have to worry about schools stacking their doubles to try and beat us.”
In other words, teams might consider giving up a little in the singles matches by moving their best singles players into doubles, in hopes of sweeping all three doubles matches and taking the overall match 3-2.
“I’m not saying I’m going to put Alex in doubles, but it’s a real possibility to make sure we win the team match,” Heitsch continued. “I wish I could give you more than that, but I don’t want Skyview to know our lineup before the match.”
Who knew there was so much strategy in high school tennis?
Actually, we knew. That’s why we posed the question.
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t even tell my own players” the lineup, Heitsch concluded. “Who says tennis isn’t a serious sport?”
Well, not us. And, no, it didn’t make us feel any better.
Not knowing something never makes a journalist feel better.
Given that response, I didn’t even bother to pose a similar query to Skyview coach Jay Gowen.
When the match came on Wednesday, the two coaches outmaneuvered each other because Wallace and Andreasen did end up facing each other — in a doubles match.
And then Mother Nature outfoxed them both. It started raining during the match, forcing a postponement.
So the matchup of Wallace and Andreasen will have to wait, until this week perhaps. It could happen if they decide to continue last week’s postponed match. It could also happen at this weekend’s Mountain View Invitational, the annual matchup of the area’s top players.
But, of course, for that to happen, Wallace and Andreasen will need to play, they’ll need to play singles, they’ll need to play well enough to advance to the finals, and it will have to not rain.
None of those things are certain.
But it just goes to show that there is often more that goes into a high school tennis match than one might think. And the same is true for swimming, cross country or golf.
Prep golf coaches at Mountain View, Union, Prairie and Skyview will get a chance to plan some strategy as their teams take part in the Titan Cup on Wednesday at Camas Meadows.
The Titan Cup is a Ryder Cup-like tournament in which there are singles match-play matches and two-player alternate-shot matches.
Coaches will be working hard to find the right matchups on Wednesday.
Other events
• CROSS COUNTRY: On Saturday, the Nike Pre-Nationals cross country meet will take place at Portland Meadows race track.
This year’s event, hosted by Aloha High School in Beaverton, will feature more than 3,000 runners from more than 100 schools in seven western states and British Columbia.
Those athletes include runners from Battle Ground, Heritage, Skyview, Union, Camas, Columbia River and Mountain View. Prep races are set to begin at 10 a.m.
• GIRLS SOCCER: Prairie, fresh off its 1-0 win over Camas last week, gets a crack at unbeaten Kelso in Kelso on Tuesday, The Hilanders are 6-0 overall and 2-0 in 3A Greater St. Helens League. On Thursday, defending 3A state champion Columbia River (2-1, 2-0) plays at Camas.
• FOOTBALL: After several league games last Friday, the Week 4 schedule has very few league games. The only league game in the 4A, 3A or 2A GSHL is Prairie vs. Fort Vancouver at Kiggins Bowl. It’s a league opener for Fort (2-1).
Don’t be fooled by the Hockinson-Mark Morris game. The Hawks and Monarchs meet twice this season. The first is a non-league game.
Still, there are some compelling non-league games, topped by the matchup for Clark County’s two ranked teams: Skyview at Camas.
The 1A Trico League is in league play from here on out. Ridgefield and La Center will renew their league rivalry at La Center.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached by phone at (360) 735-4538 or e-mail at tim.martinez@columbian.com
