In mid-February of this year, the Davie High Men’s Tennis Team first met to play “Rock Solid Tennis”, a motto that the team lives by. To all of its members, this motto serves as a reminder of consistency on and off the court, as they end their season 6-6 in the CPC and 7-7 in the regular season. The team also competed in the first round of the state playoffs and had two all-conference players. The end of the year marks the celebration of the players, the coaches, and those who made the season possible.
Shane Nixon, the Men’s Tennis Coach, says, “I’m proud of our team.” Despite a loss of last season’s first and second seeds, the team has continued to play with a drive to win and a motivation to improve. The starting singles lineup this year was made up of Zachary Hill, Grayson Busse, Hayden Key, Brady Carter, Jackson Hepler, and Barrett Taylor. Also invaluable to the team were Max Rappaport, Jonah Almond, Sean Lane, Owen Tomlinson, and Isaac Martinez.
Each member had an important role in the team’s overall success on the court as well as creating a positive atmosphere off of the court. Junior Hayden Key, one of this year’s team captains, said, “I really love the camaraderie between all the young lads on the team. I love watching people grow, get close to one another, and make a team out of a few people who didn’t know much about each other.” Junior Zachary Hill says his favorite part of being on the team is, “Being with everybody that I know, that I love, and that I’m here for.”
Although it is each guy’s responsibility to improve their game, the job of the coaches is just as important. Head Coach Shane Nixon and Assistant Coach Terri Eanes must take the players and create a successful lineup for the entirety of the team. Their job could be compared to sorting through a stack of jigsaw pieces and finding the right fit to complete the puzzle. Although this job comes with its challenges, they love what they do, with Coach Eanes saying “My favorite part of coaching is getting to know all the wonderful youth and watching them improve to become better players and people.”
This year was also a landmark season for Coach Nixon, who won his 100th tennis match. This makes him one of the few active coaches in North Carolina to achieve this honor. “100 wins is not something I ever even thought would be possible,” says Nixon. “All the credit goes to some excellent kids!”
The team met this past week for their banquet to recognize the coaches, players, and parents who made this season one-of-a-kind. Jonah Almond, Isaac Martinez, and Hayden Key all received individual awards for their character, progress, and value. Players Zachary Hill and Hayden Key were praised for their achievement in making it to the All-Conference level.
Of course, the season could not have been possible without the time that all parents put into helping their sons succeed, from purchasing uniforms to picking them up from practice. No parent, however, has helped more this season than the designated Team Mom, Dr. Georgia Taylor. She says, “My favorite part of being [the] Team Mom is being the liaison between the students and the school and the parents. I get to know the parents really well and to be an integral part of the team.”
The 2024 Davie High Men’s Tennis season is certainly one to remember. Through the help of the coaches and the parents, many personal and team achievements were reached. The players strived to win while maintaining sportsmanship in the face of loss. But most importantly, each member of the team can proudly say they played “Rock Solid Tennis.”
