Returning players bring state tournament experience
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
When veteran East Troy boys tennis coach Dave Lindow looks at his 2017 roster, he sees plenty of experience filling a number of positions.
And you can’t ever downplay the importance of that.
Lindow will lean on a core of juniors and seniors to lead the way into the spring, including the senior duo of Brody Woodson and Vince Baxter, who teamed to advance to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Tournament in doubles a year ago.
“We have a lot of experience with our top-six guys,” Lindow said. “They will need to carry our team in the close matches.”
Woodson and Baxter will play at the top-two singles positions until the postseason, when Lindow expects them to again team at No. 1 doubles. They are joined in the singles lineup by junior Nick Bourdo and senior Jered Paullin.
Also back from a year ago are juniors Joe Moede and Jered Brehm, who begin the season at No. 1 doubles.
Newcomers looking to make an impact are seniors Larry Mitchell, Thomas Scurek and Josh Moede; junior C.J. D’Amico; and sophomore Logan Fitch. This group will fill the No. 2 and 3 doubles spots and also could see time in singles, Lindow said.
Lindow, who is in his 24th season at the helm, said he’s looking for East Troy to fight its way into the top half of the conference race. Watertown Luther Prep enters the year as the favorite, along with Big Foot, Lindow said.
“We’re hoping to have a good battle with those teams and eventually get two or four kids to state,” he said. “Our goals remain the same. We want to compete every match, try to win conference as a team and then advance kids to the state tournament.”
Assisting Lindow is Paul Kielas, who has been with the program all 24 years that Lindow has been the head coach.
Trojans win two
East Troy opened its season with a pair of dual meet victories last week.
The Trojans beat Waterford 4-3 in a nonconference matchup last Tuesday, followed by a 6-1 Rock Valley Conference win over McFarland two days later.
Picking up victories against Waterford were Woodson at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-0 over Sam Fay; Baxter at No. 2, 6-2, 6-1 over Connor Louis; Bourdo at No. 3, 7-5, 6-2 over Josh Fay; and Brehm at No. 4, 6-0, 6-0 over Ryan Dalton.
Dropping matches to the Wolverines were Josh and Joe Moede at No. 1 doubles, 0-6, 0-6 (no opponent listed); D’Amico-Fitch at No. 2, 2-6, 5-7; and Scurek-Mitchell at No. 3, 2-6, 1-6.
East Troy also swept the singles in the conference opener against McFarland.
Winning matches were Woodson at No. 1, 7-5, 6-1; Baxter at No. 2, 6-0, 6-1; Bourdo at No. 3, 6-4, 7-5; and Fitch at No. 4, 7-5, 6-3.
Joe Moede-Brehm won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles, while D’Amico-Josh Moede won 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2. Mitchell-Scurek, at No. 3, fell 1-6, 3-6.
