Ben Murphy
Sports Scene
They have ascended the highest of mountaintops each of the last two seasons in Division II boy’s tennis, and H H Dow High School isn’t anywhere near ready to come down.
“These guys are focused and determined, and anything less than a third championship would be looked upon as a failure through their eyes,” head caoch Terry Schwartzkopf said.
The Chargers lost Alek Davila (first singles), Kevin Winegar (second doubles), Scott Kendall (third doubles), and Tim Hewitt (fourth doubles) from the last two state championship teams, but they sstill have plenty of returnees from last year’s state championship team, most of whom have plenty of experience. Those returning are seniors John Gurnee (second singles, 120 career wins), Santi Guerra (first doubles), juniors Austin Woody (first singles), David Goslin (second doubles), David Read (third doubles), Mark Gorte (fourth doubles), and sophomores Juli Guerra (fourth singles), Vikram Shanker (first doubles), Jason Chang (second doubles), and Patrick Eschbach (third doubles).
New to the team are juniors Carson Bricco (fourth doubles) and Andrew Camp (reserve) and freshman Daniel Magno (reserve).
The Chargers could be well on their way to their third straight title. They have attained a 20-0-1 record as of Saturday, with wins against some of the top teams in Division II, like Lakeview, Ann Arbor Pioneer, Troy, and Ann Arbor Huron. Their lone tie came against Brother Rice.
“Thus far this season, we have defeated the second- through sixth-ranked teams in Division II,” Schwartzkopf said.
“We have already faced the best that Division II has to offer and come out on the upside. At this point, we need to fight against overconfidence. Sometimes these guys expect the win and forget that these other teams are coached by great coaches who continue to grow their teams, and that we have a target on our backs. People will always play their best against us. We can never afford a down moment.”
Schwartzkopf sustained a moment of panic before the season even started when Guerra showed up the first week of practice with his hand in a cast. Despite the injury, Guerra hasn’t missed a beat.
“My stud singles player shows up with a cast on the first day of practice,” Schwartzkopf said. “Determined still to play, he is now undefeated at one doubles, refusing to let something as silly as a broken hand keep him from playing with his teammates.”
Guerra’s cast came off over the weekend, but the coach has other potential obstacles that could upend his squad’s season.
“It is not hard to keep them motivated, but it is difficult to keep them focused,” Schwartzkopf said. “Tennis players are usually high in terms of academic achievement and are heavily involved. These guys are currently being pulled in so many directions and want to be the best in whatever endeavors they undertake.
“Keeping up that level of excellency in all areas is exhausting,” the coach added. “Therefore, the real test with these boys is to help them maintain focus and allow time to complete their other tasks as well. It cannot be all tennis, all the time, or eventually they would collapse from the weight of outside pressure.”
On a positive note, Gurnee, with 120 career wins, is 18 away from tying a state record in that category.
“Provided he gets to the finals of all tournaments, he has 21 matches left,” Schwartzkopf said. “Nothing is for certain, as we have scheduled some tough competition… but it could be worth watching. To get there, however ,he needs to go through Detroit Catholic Central, Rochester Adams, Ann Arbor Huron, Port Huron Northern, Detroit Country Day, and Portage Central. Not an easy road.”
The coach credits many things to his team’s success in recent years, including the Midland Tennis Center, administrative support from the school, and the parents of his athletes.
“Living in Tennis Town USA allows us an unprecedented support from the community,” Schwartzkopf said. “People we don’t know – neighbors, tennis center members, they all stop by home matches to watch how their home team is faring. Just knowing others care seems to inspire my players.
“The quality of the individual boys cannot be taken lightly,” he added. “These guys seem to be focused and willing to sacrifice for success.”