By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
In a tight match, the Fluco boys tennis team was topped by the Louisa Lions on April 28 by a 5-4 score. In high school tennis, there are six singles matches and three doubles matches, with one point for each match for a total of nine points. Accordingly, the first and the sixth singles matches and the first and third doubles matches are equally important for the final team result.
Individual matches are played to eight points, win by two. If the match reaches an 8-8 score, a tie-breaker is played, so that equally matched players or teams will not go on playing indefinitely.
In this match, the Fluco team was unable to win a sufficient number of singles matches. The Flucos lost the #1, #3, #4 and #5 singles matches. The winners for the Flucos were Simon Price at #2 and Luke Dillon; at #6 Price won 9-7, and Dillon gained a decisive win with an 8-4 score. Tennis Coach Jimmy Koczan said that these players are both freshmen.
The doubles competitions follow the singles, and like the singles, the matches are played simultaneously. The Flucos needed to win all three doubles matches to top the Lions in the team competition. Unfortunately, the Lions captured the #1 doubles match for their fifth point. the Flucos were able to capture the other two doubles matches. Playing in the #2 doubles match junior Andrew Sheridan II and sophomore Braydon Betts scored a tight victory by an 8-6 score. Playing in the #3 doubles match Max Goetting and Dillon gained an even closer win, winning 9-8 in a tie breaker.
Coach Koczan said that although his team has not had a lot of success this year, they are very young. They are also inexperienced. Although the #1 and #2 singles players have been to tennis camp at Camp Friendship here in Fluvanna, a number of Fluco players have just picked up a tennis racquet this year. Some of the teams on the Fluco schedule have multiple players who have been playing since they could hold a racquet. Coach Koczan attributes a lot of his players improvement over the season thus far to his assistant Shayne Bowman, a former outstanding Fluco tennis player.
The tennis team’s schedule shows five more regularly scheduled matches. On May 5 they will travel to Monticello high school. On May 10 they host Orange County. Then they travel to Western Albemarle on May 12. Their final regular season match is May 17 when they host Charlottesville High.
