For the first time in over 50 years, the JFK boys’ tennis team got first place in the Metro League.
They played in the championship game, but lost and placed second for Division III.
The JFK Cougars played against Merced High School, competing for first place in the championship game held at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. The final score was 6-3 with Merced winning 4 singles and 2 doubles and JFK winning 2 singles and one double.
Seniors Jack Hashimoto and Charlie Eisenberg won their games in singles, and junior Karsten Mills won his doubles with senior Ezekial Luna.
The game to determine who wins the champion title was a doubles game with senior Logan Womack and senior Chance Johnson.
During the gamepoint for the Merced Bears, Johnson went to serve. As he was serving, Womack bent down at the net. The ball flew right to Womack’s back, hitting him and causing them to lose while the Merced Bears won the champion title.
Senior Logan Womack explained how he was happy about his final high school tennis season.
“I’m really happy and grateful for this season,” Womack said. “I think our team did a lot for this school.”
Womack also emphasized a lot of respect for his opponents.
“I have a lot of respect for them,” he said. “I think they played a great game and were both really good despite discrepancies with the line judge. I personally disagree with the calls he made, but it came back to benefit us and we got a couple points off the line judge.”
Senior Elliott Potter Klein explained how the JFK boys tennis team hasn’t won the league in over 50 years and how proud he is of his team.
“My senior year playing tennis has been super good and amazing since we haven’t won first in the league in so long,” Klein said. “And the journey has been very fun.”
During Klein’s game, the opponent he played, Alejandro Martinez, made 2 false calls calling Klein’s ball out. The crowd was shocked and yelled stating that the ball was in.
Martinez was playing on the side where the bleachers are right behind him, so the crowd had a clear view of the ball being in.
One of the JFK players, Karsten Mills, even exclaimed, “What?! Dude, that was in!”
A couple plays later, Klein and Martinez were in an intense rally going back and forth hitting the ball very fast and intense while being close to each other on the net.
Martinez hit the ball far to force Klein towards the back of the court, so he could be on the attack. While Klein ran back to hit the ball over, Martinez back peddled back because Klein had to hit it hard and far to counter. When Klein hit the ball, it went to the opposite side of Martinez very fast, an amazing save and it was way in the court. Martinez then shouted, “Out! ”
Martinez called Klein’s ball out and the crowd went silent just looking at Martinez while Mills said out loud, “Bro, that was in!”
Klein also spoke about his game in singles.
“My consistency cost me to lose my game and it was an off day for me,” Klein said. “My opponent was super good and I don’t think that I would’ve beaten him even on a good day.”
As tennis wraps up, the Cougars have walked home as Division III runner-ups.
