Both boys and girls earn the maximum 21 points and only one team even takes a set off the Spartans.
By MIKE READLING
Published April 21, 2004
TAMPA - In an outcome that surprised absolutely no one, Saddlebrook once again ran away with the Class A, District 8 boys and girls tournaments Tuesday at Berkeley Prep.
Both squads earned perfect scores of 21 points, as the Spartans won every singles and doubles bracket. Tampa Prep finished second in both, followed by Berkeley Prep.
The closest match of the day came in the boys No. 1 doubles, where Tampa Prep's George Navas and Cameron Bobbitt rallied from 5-1 in the third set before losing 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 to Ryan Waits and Clint Bowles. That was the only championship match that went three sets for either gender.
"We are trying to go up to the next step on the ladder," Saddlebrook coach Matt Holsopple said, noting that one of the Spartans' goals is to improve upon their runner-up finish (boys and girls) at state last year. "They came here today and took care of business."
That's easy when you have players like Alina Sullivan, who is new to the team but arrived on campus with a Top 12 ranking in the Boston area. She won her No. 1 singles match 6-4, 6-2 over Tampa Prep's Andrea Meythaler to keep her record perfect.
The boys team also has a new No. 1 player in Waits, who will play for the University of Miami net year. He won 6-2, 6-2 over Navas, a player who has given Saddlebrook fits in the past.
The perfect district score underlines Holsopple's goal to have his team in the best possible shape for next week's state tournament.
He took the girls squad - minus a couple of key players - to South Florida at the start of the season, looking for quality competition to prepare his team for state level talent. The Spartans lost to American Heritage and Miami Ransom, giving them a rare taste of adversity.
They have responded with nine straight wins and another spot in Friday's regional round.
"I hope we have more losses like those," Holsopple said. "I want this team to face more competition. I'm not afraid of losses. Wins don't count until today."
