MEN'S TENNIS: Apaches finish strong
By Manuel Garcia Sanchez
After finishing the regular season with an overall record of 9-3, the Apaches will compete in the Region IV Tournament beginning May 4 at DuPage
"We feel pretty confident going into our region matches," said coach Eric Perez.
The Apaches’ biggest competition in the Regionals will be Waubonsee whose number one player beat Chris Ford, the Apaches top player.
"As long as we maintain focus, we should qualify for the Nationals," Perez said.
The National Tournament is May 14 – 19 in Tyler, Texas.
The Apaches have won four of the last five matches in the regular season. Two of those wins were 9 – 0 victories against Lake County and McHenry, two of their strongest opponents, according to Perez. The Apaches lost their last regular season match on April 26 against Knox by a 4-3 decision.
Perez said he is proud of his team, especially for their strong season close.
The Apaches have been fortunate with this year’s schedule because they have played a lot of games at home and they have won all of those, the coach said.
This year’s revelation has been the No. 5 seed, Rob Washo, a freshman from Princeton.
"He is probably the most valuable player in our team right now," said Perez. "He has just been playing very well."
Perez is already looking to next season. The team will lose co-captains Chris Ford at #1 singles and Ryan Myers at #4 singles, but five veterans will return.