Lecanto looks strong

By CAREY FREEMAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 11, 2001

LECANTO -- The regular season is all but over, and, with that, so are the easy predictions.

As expected, Lecanto's experience paid off during the regular season as the boys and girls teams can lock up perfect records with wins over Crystal River today.

That would be three consecutive perfect seasons for the Panthers girls, who will go for a third consecutive district title when the Class 2A, District 6 tournament starts Monday.

Yet while Lecanto will be favored, nothing can be taken for granted in the one-and-your-out format of the tournament.

"I'm sure there will be some surprises," said Lecanto coach Joan Roberts, who is 15-0 in her first season. "There are always some surprises. But we're working hard, and we hope to be ready."

Lecanto will be counting on its depth to help it through a tournament loaded with potential surprises.

Jessie Roberts has performed well at No. 1, but the Panthers senior has lost twice to Dunnellon No. 1 Jenny Hernandez.

The same can be said for No. 2 Mujiba Ansari and No. 4 Nisha Shah. Ansari's nemesis has been Hernandez's sister, Michelle, who has defeated her twice. Shah's only loss was to Citrus freshman Andrea Hanson.

Even Lecanto's doubles teams have seen their once-perfect records blemished by losses to Dunnellon and Citrus.

However, while Roberts remains cautious, she said she believes her team can beat the Tigers and Hurricanes.

Adding to Roberts' confidence is the play of No. 3 Jennifer Rimes and No. 5 Ashley Campbell, who are undefeated entering today. "Our strength as a team is our depth," Roberts said. "Most teams have one or two strong players, but they don't have our depth." The Panther boys, meanwhile, are favored to win their first title in three years. Rushil Rao and Naveen Reddy have been unstopable at No. 1 and No. 2 singles and are undefeated at No. 1 doubles. Yet the Panthers are vulnerable at Nos. 3-5 and No. 2 doubles.

In addition, due to his many college visits, Reddy probably won't be the top seed (and won't get a bye) after missing several matches. "You never know what will happen," said first-year coach Lindsay Rodriguez, who also is 15-0. "We've had some injuries. We've had two twisted ankles (Samir Amin and Reddy) and one bad back (Avash Rao), so you never know. But if everyone is healthy, we should do well."

FELDMAN HOLDS KEY: If Citrus (11-3) is to defend its district title, it will need a big performance from its lower seeds. And that begins with freshman sensation Bret Feldman.

While Lecanto has had its way with Citrus' No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, it has not with Citrus' 3-5 seeds. Feldman and No. 5 Dave Peleshok are the Hurricanes' only undefeated players, and No. 4 Vlado Skarka has improved greatly during the season.

Though it has no undefeated singles players, the story is similar for the Citrus girls, whose strength lies at 3-5 and in doubles after a season of consistent improvement. No. 2 Shiela Wollatz is undefeated in district play and recently defeated Ansari in straight sets. Coach Ian Feldt also has seen signs of promise at No. 2 doubles, where Hanson and Lindsay Horne have split their matches with Lecanto's Rimes and Campbell.

"I think we're going to win or, at the least, I think we've got a good shot," Feldt said. "I think it's 50-50 between us and Lecanto."

PIRATES MIGHT SURPRISE: The Crystal River boys have been in flux for most of the season, but it is starting to jell at the right time. "Crystal River could throw things into a tizzy for either of us," Citrus boys coach Doug Pattons said. "They've got guys that can upset you on any day. I know what to expect from Lecanto, but Crystal River worries me more because I don't know what to expect."

Crystal River will bring a few wild cards, including No. 5 Chris Grillo, who is undefeated since joining the team late after a commitment to club swimming, No. 4 Tony Domingo and the No. 2 doubles team of Domingo and Chad DeMontfort.

"We're very capable," Pirates coach Vicki Brown said. "If our guys come out and play to their ability, it could get very interesting."

The Pirates girls, though, are still rebuilding and hope to be competitive. "We've started two who have played before," Pirates coach Laura Flannagan said. "All the rest never have been on a team before. Our No. 3 and No. 4 (freshmen Scarlet McKethan and Kellie Brooks) are anxious to see how much have improved when play we play Lecanto (today)."

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