On May___ the Armuchee High School boys tennis team finished off the season with a tight _____ at their sweet 16. Bowman Bennett, a senior tennis player, said, “the game couldn’t have been closer: I lost to a kid I already beat, other people lost five in a row, but Cooper won his fully.” The matches the boys faced was heartbreaking for them and left them with a feeling of an incomplete season. “Everything had to go wrong for us to lose, and everything went wrong,” Bowman said. While the boys may not have advanced, the girls tennis advanced beyond the sweet 16 and even the elite 8. Although demoralized by their loss, the boys were quick to support their fellow tennis members as they advanced all the way to final 4.

The tennis team felt they worked hard this year not only competitive wise, but also bonding wise. “My teammates and coaches were my favorite part of playing on the team. We seriously were like one big family and we all were great friends and the coaches were great leaders,” Cooper Jenkins, a senior tennis member, said. In tandem with Cooper’s thoughts, Evey Flagello, a sophomore player, said, “The bond between everybody is really special this year. For the girls, we have all played together for years now, so we all just understand each other and never fail to make each other laugh.” Cooper’s thoughts of familial attachment extend beyond just his teammates, stating that Coach Rice is like a father to him in how he understands the balance of both the enjoyment of the sport and the importance of improvement. Cooper is happy to leave this season knowing more about both tennis and life. To complement their improvement as a connected team, the teams have also worked diligently to improve their physical abilities. “This year is even better than it was last year. Our power rankings were better this year, and we’ve made it just as far in state,” Flagello, said.

While this year might not have won the Armuchee teams state, the seniors find there is intrinsic value in the experiences they have gained over the years. For many of them, tennis cannot be viewed over just one season; it is their entire life. “High school tennis has done more for me as a person rather than as a player. While playing in high school has made me better, taking lessons in the off season is what truly did it. But Coach Rice has always been the light in a dark moment, keeping everyone’s heads up while we were at our lowest and teaching us how to get over little blimps like a missed shot,” Jenkins said. For many of the seniors, it is not the wins that matter as much as the small moments among the team. “My favorite part of the season was probably eating with the team after our matches,” Jenkins said. The high school tennis team plans to continue to work diligently next year, allowing for both improvement both on the court and off.