Crammed into a van en route to a recent match, the Newsome High School girls tennis team begins the struggle for supremacy. The team wants to hear the latest jams on the radio, girls swap stories about boys and each voice tries to outdo the others.
And then there's Dave Peters.
Peters tries to turn down the radio. No dice.
He tries to steer the conversation to the upcoming opponents. Nice try.
He tries to block out the boy chatter. Forget it.
"Sometimes it's pretty funny," senior Alyssa Lafita said. "I know he doesn't want to hear it, but coach definitely gets all the latest gossip on the road."
Sounds kind of like a family vacation, right? That's because Peters and the Wolves are a tight-knit unit with a ton of history to tie them all together.
Three of Newsome's five starters are seniors and have been with Peters since their freshman year. And Newsome tennis can be summed up in one word: Peters. He's the only coach the program has ever known.
"We are like a family," Lafita said. "We're all friends. Not all of us have the same friends off the court, but it's pretty cool that we all can come together and relate to each other when it's time to play."
And while the radio may be a source of contention, Newsome's play has been sweet music so far this season. As of Wednesday, the Wolves have sprinted to a 7-0 mark.
"One thing they all have in common is that they're all excellent all-around athletes," Peters said. "Throw in the fact that they are all great kids and it sure makes my job a lot easier."
How dominant has Newsome been this year? Out of those seven matches, the Wolves won every game for the first five and have dropped just two all season. In its five-year history, Newsome has compiled an impressive 45-14 record.
"Not bad, huh? Peters said. "And there is some very good tennis played in this area."
Newsome has been a competitive program since its inception, reaching state competition twice, finishing sixth in 2A in 2004 and 2005. Much of that can be traced to the youth feeder programs around the school.
"This is a great area for tennis. We get those kids from the FishHawk and River Hills areas," Peters said. "It's like with Freedom (High School) and the way they get the kids from the Hunter's Green area. That's why they are always tough, too."
Lafita, one of the area's top players, is in her third year as the Wolves' No. 1 and competed at state on the 2005 teams. She said the depth on this year's squad is what makes it the best during her tenure. "I definitely think this is the strongest team we've had since I've been here," Lafita said. "The back end of our lineup at (numbers) three, four and five are the difference."
Seniors Kelly Raymond and Breklyn Ballingham hold down the second and third slots, respectively. Freshman Jaci Watson has played No. 4 while Peters has shuffled "about two or three pretty talented players" at No. 5.
"Everybody's (number) one and two are good that we play," Peters said. "So to be strong all the way through is what separates most teams."
Peters said he hopes that depth can help the Wolves return to the state tournament for the third time in five years. First up are the district tournaments April 10-11.
The Florida High School Athletic Association moved the dates up this year and the tournament will fall right in the middle of Hillsborough's spring break.
Peters said he has talked to other coaches who won't have players available due to the short notice of the switch. Newsome, however, will have a full team come tournament time.
"I've heard some players won't be (at the tournament)," Peters said. "I've heard some had family vacations to Europe already planned."
But not Newsome's family.
[Last modified: Mar 20, 2008 06:01 AM]
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