For McMinn County, it often comes down to Michael Hewgley and Neal Baldwin.
The seniors top the lineup for the Cherokees team. In postseason singles play, they have played each other for District 5-AAA and Region 3 championships.
This year, Hewgley and Baldwin will enter the postseason as doubles partners, a journey that begins today with the District 5-AAA individual tournament at Rhea County High School.
“We feel like we can both go to state together as a team instead of taking each other out,” Hewgley said.
The 5-AA tournament also is underway at Lee University. Next week, the 6-AA and 6-AAA competitions begin Monday at Champions Club. The Division II Middle/East Region tournament is May 10-11 at Champions Club.
Individual champions and runners-up advance to the region tournaments, where the winners will head to Murfreesboro to compete in the TSSAA state individual tournament.
McMinn County won the 5-AAA regular season crown with a 13-0 overall record and finished league play undefeated at 6-0. The District 5-AAA champion will be determined by combining season results with tournament point results.
Baldwin beat Hewgley last year for the region title to advance to the TSSAA Class AAA state individual tournament. Hewgley tends to beat Baldwin in challenge matches to maintain the No. 1 spot on the Cherokees.
“When Neal went to state last year, we saw the competition in singles and felt this was the year to combine their talent,” McMinn County coach Susan Ray said. “This is their last shot. We’ve always been apprehensive about putting them in singles, because if they both make it to the finals of the region, someone is going to go home unhappy.”
Added Hewgley: “(Playing Baldwin) is always my toughest match. Neal is my toughest competition and he’s my teammate, so we want each other to do well.”
At the Champions Club Classic earlier this month, Hewgley and Baldwin won the No. 1 and No. 2 singles titles, along with combining for the No. 1 doubles championship. The duo practices together and, as a doubles team, their different styles of play fit together: Neal is an intense, aggressive player, while Michael is smooth and laid-back on the court, Ray said.
Hewgley and Baldwin have always been a strong one-two punch at the top of the lineup for the Cherokees, but this year has been about team accomplishments, Ray said. The McMinn County boys won the team title at the Champions Club Classic and took home the District 5-AAA team championship, qualifying them for the Region 3 team competition.
“At the beginning of the season, we talked about individual goals, but we also talked about team goals,” Ray said. “One of our goals was to win the district and go undefeated. It’s been a hard fight, but they’ve met my expectations.”
E-mail Mallory Carra at mcarra@timesfreepress.com
