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Saddlebrook finally competes on its level

The girls especially have a tough challenge at the state tourney.

WESLEY CHAPEL - For the Saddlebrook Prep boys the goal is to defend the Class A state championship won last season by an almost completely different team.

For the Spartan girls, who start a sophomore, two freshman and an eighth grader, the goal is to get some state tourney experience.

Two teams on different paths. Yet they face a common enemy: lack of competition in the high school postseason.

Saddlebrook jogged through the district and region round. Now today in Tallahassee for the first day of the three-day state tournament, the Spartans faces their first real competition of the season.

"We've been breezing through some of the competition," first-year coach Matt Holsopple said. "But I've told them to take their training seriously the last couple of days because we're going up against some of the better schools these next couple of days.

"When we played the regional we did pretty good there, we swept them 7-0 and we hit pretty good. Now we'll see what the week holds."

Not that the Spartans haven't been tested in top youth tournaments. This is Saddlebrook Prep, after all, where the best players aren't necessarily the ones that compete in the prep ranks.

"They're all match-experienced and tournament-tough," the coach said. "Now it just brings it together as a team sport. That's the fun of it."

In fact, Holsopple said this year's boys team, with four seniors and a junior, might be a more veteran squad than the one that won state last year. Yet only one player, senior and No.4 singles player Leonard Gullan, returns.

"I think this year's team is a little bit more experienced," Holsopple said. "A lot of seniors make up our team."

Like twins Deigo and David Alvarado, the No.2 and No.3 singles players, respectively. Anas Al Dahoud is at No.5, and the lone junior is at No.1, Mark Spicijaric, eighth nationally in the USTA's under-16 rankings.

Spicijaric made a promise with last year's Class A individual singles champion, Jose Muguruza, that the two would led the Spartans back to state. But an injury kept Muguruza from the minimum number of matches. Now Spicijaric leads the team.

The girls are led by a freshman, Christy Liles, at No.1 singles, and freshman Cortney Stark at No.4. Sophomore Lorinda Boothman is at No.2 and the lone senior, Jamie DeGrassenreid, is No.3. Eighth-grader Breezy McNamara is at No.5.

"The guys, I think, have their eyes set on trying to reclaim the title," the coach said. "The girls are going to have a tougher time. Hopefully they take it one match at a time and hopefully get a couple of wins here and there."