Twin brothers lead the singles play
With only one senior on the team and a slew of freshmen and
sophomores, the main goal this year for the San Benito High School
boys’ tennis team is to build for the future.
”
We want to grow together as a team, work cooperatively and
mature both on and off the court,
”
Coach Leanna Morgan said.
Twin brothers lead the singles play
With only one senior on the team and a slew of freshmen and sophomores, the main goal this year for the San Benito High School boys’ tennis team is to build for the future.
“We want to grow together as a team, work cooperatively and mature both on and off the court,” Coach Leanna Morgan said.
After eight matches this season the Balers are 3-4 in league play and 3-5 overall.
While the objective is to grow as a team, that’s not to say that the young Baler squad is without talent.
In fact, the Balers have twin brothers in the lineup that help stimulate the team’s play just by their last name alone.
Sophomores Danny and Michael Coffey are the team’s top two singles players this season. They give the team its initial spark to help jump-start wins.
“The two brothers battle back and forth every time (to see who will play No. 1),” Morgan said. “Michael is a very consistent baseline player, and he’s very consistent at getting the ball back.”
Danny, on the other hand, is more aggressive and sees the bulk of his playing time in the No. 1 slot. A year ago, the Balers finished third overall in league while Danny took second in the league’s singles championship.
“He’s an aggressive player and he thinks out what he is going to do out there,” Morgan said. “He’s still growing on and off the court. By his senior year, he should really make some noise in the league.”
While Danny tends to play more aggressively, what separates Michael, according to his coach, is his ability to think on the court and work his way through the matches.
The only upper classman in the Baler singles play lineup this season is junior Derek Panger, who took a lot of lessons over last summer to ready his game for this season. This year he is filling up the No. 3 singles spot.
“He’s a calming force for us, a quiet competitor,” Morgan said. “He doesn’t give too much away about his game when he’s playing.”
The Balers No. 4 singles player this season is sophomore Mark Tobias. A football player during the fall, Tobias plays an aggressive game and takes charge on the court.
Last season, he was on the Balers’ doubles team but showed enough improvement this year to handle singles play.
“He’s got a solid game,” Morgan said. “He hits the ball real hard, and is a take-no-prisoners kind of guy.”
The Balers No. 1 doubles team this season brings together a freshman and the team’s only senior.
The freshman in the pairing is Conner Bray, who is known for his hustling on the court and dedication to competing and continuing to improve.
Alan Guttirez is the senior in the pairing. He works well with Bray and the two have styles that compliment one another.
“Alan is a calming force and a leader on the team,” Morgan said. “He takes his tennis seriously. The two really work well together.”
The No. 2 doubles team puts together a freshman with an unorthodox serve and a first-year junior with a strong work ethic.
Austin Pan is known for his unique service technique.
“He’s very effective out there with it and very coachable too,” Morgan said.
His partner junior Mikael Labuguen has a knack for keeping the team focused on the court, and enjoys practicing for long periods of time.
“He’s really passionate about his game,” Morgan said. “He is able to convey that to the rest of the team in a real positive way.”
Rounding out the final doubles team are freshman D.J. Nielsen and sophomore Jonathan Rudolss. Like Tobias, they too come from a football background, which seems to make them more intimidating on the court.
According to Morgan, there’s no doubt where they are when they take to the court.
“They are very feisty, the spitfires of the team,” Morgan said. “They play aggressively, and even if they are losing a match, they never give up. They battle right until the bitter end.”
John Bagley can be reached at
jb*****@pi**********.com
.
