Jordan Evans and Patrick O’Brien are new to the Collegedale Academy tennis team — and the playoffs.
The two Eagles freshmen had their first taste of the District 5-A/AA individual tournament Thursday at Lee University. The competition resumes today at 10 a.m. with singles and doubles semifinals and finals.
O’Brien advanced to the boys’ singles semifinals, but Evans injured his back in a first-round match and lost in the quarterfinals.
Today, O’Brien will play Grace Academy’s Nathan Schley, who is undefeated this season. Boyd-Buchanan’s Jacob LeQuire faces Silverdale Baptist’s Blake Johnson. In girls’ singles, Boyd-Buchanan’s Tarah Garner will play Grace’s Lexi Ettenger while Arts & Sciences’ Ahmee Kelly plays Collegedale’s Kristin Chung.
The Collegedale boys’ team won the 5-A/AA regular season with a 12-0 record, but the district champion will be determined today through points awarded for tournament results. The addition of O’Brien and Evans to the lineup has helped the Eagles, Collegedale coach Joe Chung said.
“They’ve pushed the upperclassmen this season and raised the whole level of play on the team,” Coach Chung said.
Evans played No. 1 singles this season for the Eagles. In his first-round match against CSAS’s Brian Wright, Evans won the first set 6-2 but then hurt his back and lost the second 6-1. He rebounded to win the third set 6-2 while serving underhanded.
O’Brien, who played No. 2 singles for Collegedale, defeated Jared Chastain, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round and beat Meigs County’s Chris Couch, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinals. O’Brien looks forward to facing Schley today for the first time since seventh grade.
“It makes me a little nervous because we’re representing the school and it’s a new experience,” O’Brien said. “It’s a different format than in middle school, but it’s good and I’m excited.”
