Shorthanded Blue Springs South boys tennis team edges Blue Springs for conference title

Blue Springs South's Lake Kinzel hits a forehand during a doubles match
with partner John Duffey against Blue Springs Tuesday. The South duo
won the match, while the team won 6-3 to claim the conference title.

Sheri Rehmer had a smile on her face now, after the Blue Springs South boys tennis coach had watched her team win the Suburban Big Six Conference title outright with a 6-3 win over Blue Springs Tuesday.

But just a few hours earlier Rehmer was asking herself a simple question in which she hoped didn’t have an answer.

“What else could happen?” she said.

Rehmer was referring to the laundry list of things that seemed to be going wrong for her Jaguars prior and during the match against the cross-town rival Wildcats.

It started with No. 1 player Chris Hammond not coming to school and sitting out the match with an illness, forcing everyone to move up a spot and putting JV player John Duffey into the rotation.

Next was Alec Barber, also sick, who was gutting out his match with Blue Springs’ Dan Noud into a third set when cramps took over his leg. After a long delay, he tried to continue but eventually retired due to the pain. With singles tied at 3-all, Rehmer had to go to a pair of JV players in doubles – Jose Garchitorena and Lake Kinzel – with Garchitorena having to step in at No. 1 doubles with Paul Province.

“Everyone had to move up a spot. That was a little scary,” Province said. “ … Nothing was holding us back.”

Blue Springs South's Paul Province pumps his fist after
him and fill-in doubles partner Jose Garchitorena won
in the No. 1 spot against Blue Springs.

South senior Alex Martin slams home
a volley in his doubles match with
his brother Jared. The two had the
match-clinching win.

South stayed poised, calm and collected and finished the conference season undefeated at 5-0 by sweeping all three doubles matches.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of this team. The guys that pulled up to play were awesome,” Rehmer said. “To sweep them in doubles is a great feeling for the guys.”

Added Garchitorena, “I’m on top of the world right now.”

The first doubles win to give South a 4-3 lead came from Kinzel and Duffey, as they cruised, 6-4, 6-1, against Blue Springs’ Chad Stohlman and Ashton Rhodes, a team that has been solid all year.

The other two matches were both roller coaster rides.

South’s Alex and Jared Martin won the first set against Noud and Andy Anderson 6-3 but couldn’t keep it going in set two, falling 1-6. The opposite was true for Province and Garchitorena against Tyler Casey and Max Martell, as they dropped the first set 3-6 before scratching back into the match in set two, 6-4.

Blue Springs' Dan Noud hits a forehand in his singles match against
South's Alec Barber. Noud won when Barber had to retire in the third set.

“We were just saying that it was a new set, that anything can happen,” Jared Martin said of their match. “We had to take it one point at a time. Once we got a few points to get the lead there was no looking back. We had to push harder.”

And they didn’t look back, winning the set 6-2.

“It felt really great,” Jared said. “That was to win it, and especially to do it against Blue Springs makes it more sweet to clinch conference.”

“We had the momentum shift,” added Wildcats head coach Jody McClain. “We should have won in the third set because we had the momentum after the second set. We need to carry that over. When you’re up you have to close it out.”

Blue Springs' Andy Anderson hits a forehand in his
doubles match Tuesday.

Jared and Alex ended up with the match-clinching victory, but before that was over, Province and Garchitorena were fired up on their court, using the momentum they had just gained from set two to win the third set 6-4.

“I called it riding the shock wave,” Garchitorena said with a smile. “I just wanted to do whatever I could. I didn’t expect much out of myself, but I had to step up. Paul was there to help.”

As the match went on, it became clear the two were getting more comfortable together on the court.

“Jose just need a little confidence,” added Rehmer. “Paul was a great partner for him. Paul took over at the net. He was like the Terminator.”

Both coaches agreed that each doubles match was won or lost at the net, something McClain has been harping on her team all season.

“It was a big difference. You have to make shots at the net,” McClain said. “They’re there but you have to execute.”

Blue Springs No. 2 singles player Max
Martell hits an overhead smash in his
doubles match with partner Tyler
Casey.

“Alex and Jared got in a groove. They’ve improved their net play a lot over last year,” Rehmer said. “Sometimes angles are more important than power. Net play is crucial.”

Martell (6-1, 7-5), Noud (3-6, 7-6 (7-4) 2-1 – retire) and Rhodes (4-6, 6-3, 6-4) all won singles matches for the Wildcats, who fell to 2-3 in conference play in what was their final match before districts begin Monday.

“In singles we fought. We did make it competitive,” McClain said. “We just need to pull more doubles matches out.”

As for the Jaguars, while they returned their entire team from a season ago, this title had a little different feel with the way it was won.

“There are no guarantees. Liberty has kids that play year-round and they were deep last year,” Rehmer said of the conference season. “I always talk about how it’s not just about your Nos. 1-3. It takes everybody. It’s nice to see all the guys pick that up.”