Around Iredell Sports

2008 Apr-23

BOYS TENNIS

Wildcats take another monumental step for program

By Brian Meadows
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Lake Norman’s boys tennis team lost 9-0 to eventual state champion Statesville in the 2007 regular-season finale, a match that decided the North Piedmont 3A champion.

The Wildcats did not hang their heads, even though they also lost their bid for an undefeated season.

“I definitely knew this year would be our year to shine,” junior Andrew McKinnon said.

How right he was.

With its 9-0 win Wednesday over Northwest Cabarrus, Lake Norman completed a perfect regular season. Returning five of their top six players this year, the Wildcats also locked up the program’s first conference title.

“It’s just a great accomplishment to be the first tennis team in school history to do this, and now we’re looking further,” junior Matt Dowell said.

“Our goal is May 24, which is the state final, but we’re taking it one match at a time.”

Maybe so, but the Wildcats (15-0, 9-0 NPC), ranked No. 2 in the 3A state coaches poll, are dismantling players and teams in the process.

Lake Norman has had only one close match this season, a 5-4 win over Hopewell. In addition to victories over Statesville and Mooresville, the NPC runner-up, Lake Norman defeated Newton-Conover, last year’s 2A state runner-up, 8-1. Newton-Conover is currently ranked second in 2A.

Senior Taylor Burton has been part of Lake Norman’s steady climb in a relatively strong conference. Two years ago, the Wildcats finished third and advanced to the second round of the playoffs as a wild-card team. Last season, they reached the third round of the playoffs following their sec-ond-place showing in the NPC.

“This is a great feeling,” Burton said. “We have a pretty solid core group of guys, and this year it’s really accelerated with the coaches having us work hard on cardio.”

First-year Lake Norman coach Chris Carroll ripped a page out of Norman Dale’s playbook. When he first took over the basketball team in the movie Hoosiers, Dale — played by Gene Hackman — said, “My practices aren’t designed for your enjoyment.”

Carroll’s practices aren’t exactly a cakewalk.

“Conditioning is the biggest part of our practices,” said Carroll, who is assisted by his wife, Lezlie, the girls tennis coach.

Practice days begin with warmups, then a two-mile run. The sessions, which generally last about two hours, continue with drill work and are occasionally followed by challenge matches.

Before leaving, Lake Norman players run hills. They must go up and down the sharp incline behind the baseball field roughly 20 times.

“At first it was hard — it’s not fun — but in the long run you know it’s doing you good,” McKinnon said. “You know other teams probably aren’t doing that.

“We’ve gotten a lot better with the new regimen.”

Dowell agreed.

“We haven’t lost a three-set match this year, so I think it’s helped us in that area,” said Dowell, one of five Lake Norman players who are unbeaten in singles play this season. “It helps us with our agility around the court, and it allows us to stay in the point longer.”

Burton said when they first began their new practice routine, no one on the team was particularly enthused.

“Now we’re getting used to it,” Burton said.

“It’s shown great results,” he added with a big grin. “Hard to argue with that.”

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