Mason Tennis Tops for 9th Time

For the three seniors on George Mason High School’s boy’s tennis team, there could not have been a better ending to the 2004 season. After a regular season in which the team dominated, losing only one match the entire year, the boys looked to continue their success at states last weekend at Radford University and did just that, sweeping their opponent to claim the program’s ninth State Championship.

Coach Wilkie, coaching boy’s tennis for the first year, expected great things from the team at the state championships. Describing the team as “having depth” he attributes their successes to “the right combination of senior leadership and young talent.”

The state semifinals saw George Mason, coached by Dan Wilkie and Assistant Steve Goetting, facing Radford High School, the Region C champion. Alex Goetting and senior Colin Ehmer, Mason’s No. 1 and No. 2 players, as well as Andrew Roller, number six on the team, started the match out slowly, each dropping their first game. Things turned around for Colin and Alex, however, as they began to get adjusted to the court.

Goetting faced a well-rounded, athletic player who was able to endure Alex’s powerful serve and groundstrokes and win the second set, but being the superior player Goetting eventually wore him out and finished him off in three sets.

Ehmer’s opponent took him by surprise early with an extremely fast forehand. After dropping a few early games however, Ehmer turned it around and began to mount a comeback. He went on the win the first set, but lost the second in a 7-6 tiebreaker. The third set mirrored the rest of the match, but resulted in a 6-4 victory for Colin.

By the time Mason’s third, fourth, and fifth ranked players took the courts, the Mustangs were leading Radford by a score of 2-1.

Senior Luke Rabin was the first to play and quickly defeated his opponent giving Mason a 3-1 lead. James An followed Luke by winning in two sets and putting the Mustangs one win away from victory.

Senior Ben Andrews easily defeated his opponent through solid consistent play and a string of winners giving Mason a 5-1 victory and a ticket to the Championship game the next day.

After a night of rest following a long, exhausting semi-final, the boys found themselves on the court once again starting early against J. I. Burton High School, the Region D champions. Going into the match, the boys were all a bit nervous; having seen J. I. Burton solidly beat their opponent the day before. “I saw them play and expected a close match,” Wilkie said.

Mason’s top two, Ehmer and Goetting blew through their opponents, dropping only three games and securing an early 2-0 lead for the Mustangs. James An, playing as No. 3, took a little longer to beat his opponent, but followed Goetting and Ehmer’s lead in defeating his opponent in straight sets.

Andrew Roller was looking to rebound from a subpar semifinal match and did just that. Using his excellent net play he hit a series of winners and won in two sets.

Luke Rabin, ranked fourth on the team, faced an opponent with a solid serve but through superior groundstrokes was able to come out with another two set victory for the Mustangs.

Ben Andrews lost the first three games to his hard-hitting opponent. Ben though, played a very intelligent match and quickly learned that his opponent had no backhand, a weakness he exploited to win his first set in a tiebreaker as well as five games of the next set. Unfortunately for him, his match did not count because Mason finished off J. I. Burton, 5-0 before he could win his final game and sweep the set. The match finished without Mason having lost a single set.

“We definitely peaked at the right time. We were playing our best tennis at the end of the year and crushing the competition. We blew through the region and won states,” Coach Dan Wilkie said of the victory.