The vibration of the strings, the thud of balls against the court, the cheers of the supporters- the sounds that defined our Priory high school tennis season. While we were disappointed by the end of our season, falling short in the semifinals, we take pride in the significant improvements we made individually and as a team. In my first season on the Varsity team, I would say I had a great journey with Coach Bealke and the crew.
We had a rough start to the season, with our 3-seed, Gerrard Gunther, unable to play because of the shortage of practices. The first time we had our full team, we had a great victory over CBC, with many players getting their first wins. From day one, John Varley stood out against all the teams we had played. He was considered a “National Treasure” by some of his teammates, and even called the “Prodigal Son.” We had a three-game win streak against Lutheran South, Whitfield, and Principia. In the Individual Districts, Priory had two singles players and two doubles teams. Obviously, John Varley won the singles tournament. Gerrard Gunther won his first game, only losing in the quarter-finals. JP Nadreau and Patrick Meehan had a very close match resulting in them losing in a tiebreaker. Onto Districts, where we were matched up with Parkway North in the Quarter-Finals. We had a very close win with JP Nadreau coming in clutch on a Super-Tiebreaker. Unfortunately, our season came to an end when we played Westminster, the 2nd seed. Priory fought hard, but they got the better of us. After the hard loss, Patrick Meehan, our captain, gave a heartfelt speech.
There is no arguing that we will have lost a lot at the start of next season- our seniors. I’m proud to say that I had a great relationship with each and every one of them. Alejandro “Andy” Behrman, the first player to be at practice every day working on his serve. It was clear to everyone how dedicated Andy was, and he was a great example for us freshmen. He was always a great person to talk to while watching the matches. Andy even helped me get my Record Articles to the right email. Gerrard Gunther was always making everyone laugh with his jokes. I won’t forget the time when I played doubles with him against John Burroughs. Although we were down 7-1 (the match is to 8), we kept fighting, keeping the energy up. Gerrard also drove me and the freshmen to our first district game, even though he wasn’t at school that day. Patrick Meehan was a great leader, always communicating with Coach and letting us know what the plan was. Patrick contributed a lot to the team, and I’m sure everyone is grateful for him. Quentin Ford always brought the energy to practices, and I had a great time playing doubles with him (btw, he is a menace at the net). Every time we had an away match or a practice inside, Q Ford would drive me, Patrick Chahoud, and Rob Higgins there. He didn’t mind all the bags that we brought, or when someone would set off his car alarm (not me). Overall, I’m very thankful for not just the seniors, but all the other team members who set an example for me and the freshmen.
In conclusion, our tennis season was filled with hard-fought battles coming from everyone. Even the players who didn’t get a chance to display their skills contributed and showed up to all the practices and games. As we hang up our rackets for the season, we do so with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude for the many great memories that were made.
