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Riding high
By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff Writer TRINITY -- That the only district title in Mitchell's two-year history belongs to the boys team isn't a surprise to coach Jim Smith. Not with a No. 1 singles player like Gregg Strange paving the way. The Class 3A, District 7 champion is 18-0 this season. He hasn't even lost a set. "The reason I thought we had the ingredients to win a title," Smith said, "was that I really thought that Greg would continue to not lose a set. I was that confident." Smith hopes his Mustangs can maintain that level of confidence in today's Class 3A, Region 4 match at Lakeland Jenkins. At stake: a berth in the Class 3A state championships at Sanlando Park and Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, which begin Monday. Smith said the transformation that turned Mitchell from a second-year rebuilding program without last year's No. 2 and No. 3 singles players into a district power started from the bottom and began at midseason. Strange and Richard Grimberg at No. 2 were already solid. But the rest of the lineup needed to come into its own. "The two main factors were that the last three weeks of the season, both (No. 5) Sean Donaldson and (No. 4) William Dailey really stepped it up," Smith said, "really started stroking the ball much better. Because they were winning, because their confidence improved, they were willing to stroke it better." Then Smith, a rookie coach, realized how much better the team would be if he paired the No. 1 and No. 2 singles -- Strange and Grimberg -- together at No. 1 doubles (and he also wanted them to get to state, which they did by winning the district.) Strange and Dailey together had gone 4-5, but Strange and Grimberg went 5-1 and handed Land O'Lakes' undefeated doubles team its first loss of the season in the district finals. Mitchell's sudden improvement was on display in the second half of the season. The Mustangs, who could not even win the county title, turned the tables on a good Land O'Lakes squad, winning 4-3 to avenge a previous defeat with the same score. Then Mitchell beat SAC champion River Ridge 5-2, avenging another early-season loss. But Mitchell's foe today is an impressive one. The Eagles trounced the field at the 3A-8 tournament, winning with a perfect 21 points. That means Jenkins won all five singles and two doubles finals. The Eagles are defending regional champs but fared badly at last year's state tournament. This year, Jenkins upgraded its schedule with Jesuit and Lake Mary. Smith knows the competition is daunting, but his Mustangs aren't ready to concede anything yet. "The reward for the season is winning district," the coach said, "anything beyond districts is icing on the cake."
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