Huskies reclaim 6A crown…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
You enter the state tournament with some pre-conceived notions. As much as you try not to, you just do. That was the case for me last weekend at the state tennis tournament.
Everything I’ve read, everything I’ve heard had me pointing the Class 6A girls championship to Jenks. The Trojans were ranked No. 1 all season, and it wasn’t without reason.
But on the biggest stage and the most important weekend of the season, it was Edmond North that ended up going 15-1 as a team, winning three individual state titles and its first team title since 2006.
Why was I wrong?
Two spots: No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles.
You look at Claire Atkinson, and you don’t figure her to cause that many problems for some of the bigger hitters in the game.
Calling her tiny isn’t meant to be disrespectful because she is. But boy oh boy does she pack a punch in that little frame.
Taking on Rachel Scroggs of Jenks in the championship, I would have bet (and lost) a lot on picking Scroggs. The junior was 28-2 at the time while Atkinson was solid at 32-6.
Atkinson winning wasn’t that big of a stretch but to do so by scores of 6-1, 6-3, was.
And then the No. 2 doubles team of Natalie Price and Reagan Reed. They were paired up late by head coach Dee Ann Wallar and only had 10 matches together entering state.
They still don’t know defeat as they took out two Jenks seniors in the championship, only losing a game in each of the two sets.
And my Player to Watch (Rachel Mitcham) came through to win the No. 1 singles crown in three sets. By the time her match concluded, her battle with Jenks’ Jennifer Buntz decided the team race. If Buntz won, the teams would have tied.
My prediction: Jenks, Edmond Memorial, Edmond North. Actual result: EN, Jenks, EM.
Academic achievement award: Edmond Memorial and Norman, 4.0 GPA.
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