USJ worked for tennis championship
University School of Jackson’s state tennis championships last week could be deemed as local lessons in perseverance, timing or simple development of skill and development.
Either way, the team brought home its first Division II state championship since making the move from TSSAA’s Division I in the fall of 2009, and the doubles team of its top two players – Cade Reasons and George Markos – proved why the Bruins were so good at the top this year as they didn’t allow a point in winning their second straight doubles championship.
“If you remember this time last year, I told you guys that we’ll be back and win this thing this year,” said USJ tennis coach Ted Measley. “Just knowing what all we had coming back and the talent level we had, I knew it was ours to lose.
“It turns out that statement was right because our guys played up to their potential all season.”
While there were seven years and multiple state runner-up finishes between championships for the program, the 2016 Bruins showed perseverance through the week.
After the Bruins won three singles matches in straight sets, George and Paul Markos’ battles in the Nos. 2 and 3 matchups against Knoxville Webb – who’d been the team to shut them out of the championship in previous years – wound up being three sets and grueling matches that pushed both of the brothers and their opponents to their limits.
George Markos admitted he noticed everybody but him and his brother being done playing and assuming USJ had swept so far because he’d heard updates from everybody else. So he jokingly admitted trying to win before his brother did, so he could claim clinching the championship.
“Honestly, as long as we won the championship, it doesn’t really matter who won the fourth game,” George said. “But I’m glad we didn’t have to go to doubles.”
Measley said that kind of drive is what helped the Bruins capitalize on the superior talent they brought into the tournament as the team had three of the top four ranked players in the state.
“It would be easy for these guys to not leave it all out there because they were supposed to win, but the fact that they’re not the type of group to do that gave me even more confidence in them,” Measley said. “We talked about this a week or so ago. They came in hungry and wanting to get to where they hadn’t been since they started playing high school tennis.
“That drive never left them, and that’s why they’ve been so successful. They showed that drive each week when they played in their own individual tournaments throughout the region, so this tournament this week was nothing new for them.”
The Markos brothers are the only two leaving the team after this season because of graduation.
Reasons, who’s been the No. 1 player for the Bruins the last two years, is a senior next year. Andre Gregory will be a junior. Mason Woods, who was the No. 4 player, will be a sophomore.
“And we’ve got a good group of young guys coming up behind them that will fill in roles where we need them to,” said Measley, who’s coached the majority of Jackson’s tennis players since they were young and beginning to learn the game. “I feel like I have a good grasp on the talent we have coming up, and I feel good about it.”
But for now, the members of the 2016 Bruins team will enjoy a championship and making history.
Brandon Shields, 425-9751