The follow-up: Some suggestions for the tennis post-season

By RICHIE HALL

I felt like it needed to be said.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a column entitled “Top tennis teams should not be playing so early,” which got a little bit of response. Usually, I get few comments on my articles, except for the occasional “Congratulations TEAM on winning the SPORT sectional!”

Two of the three commenters agreed, something should be done. One of them said, “there should be a reward for success earned during the regular season.”

The third commenter dissented on a few things, but did say one thing I agree with: he suggested “studying the golf tournament and how they farm teams out in several directions for their sectionals.”

The golf tournaments are spread out just enough to keep the good teams from meeting each other until the state meet. Someone should figure out a way to move a team or two out of the Westfield sectional, but that’s a column for another day.

Here’s the thing: since the IHSAA switched the tennis post-season to a head-to-head format in 1982, here are the schools that have won state championships. North Central, Brebeuf Jesuit, Cathedral, Carmel, Evansville Memorial, Park Tudor, Terre Haute South, South Bend St. Joseph and Jasper.

NINE schools in 44 years. And guess what? Most of these schools are among the top teams in the state every year. In fact, five of them were ranked in the top eight in this year’s coaches poll going into sectionals.

In other words, it is not a secret who the best programs are year in and year out.

I mentioned in my previous column a solution from Carmel assistant coach Mark Branaman: “Use the coaches rankings for what they’re intended for, to rank the best teams. Take the top eight from the coaches’ rankings and distribute them out in the semi-state, so that those eight, while they could get beat along the way, wouldn’t meet until the state quarterfinals.”

I think this is reasonable. The IHSAA re-aligns the post-season every several years, which is fine. But there’s no rule that says they can’t make adjustments every year if necessary. It’s okay to switch up some of the sectionals if the result is a better-balanced post-season.

There are currently four semi-state sites for tennis and four teams play in each of them – but a team only has to beat one opponent to win. Ever since the IHSAA switched to having eight teams qualify for state, we’ve had squads win “Semi-State 1” and “Semi-State 2” championships.

Here’s a suggestion: if we’re still going to have eight qualifiers for state, then how about having eight semi-state sites? Maybe that can help with geography and allow teams to play a little closer to home.

As for the individual tournament, I don’t like the idea of how random it can be. Let’s say a good team has a No. 1 singles player that is struggling as she enters the sectional. The team beats its opponents 4-1 to win the team sectional title, but No. 1 singles loses both her matches.

That means both No. 1 singles players from the other teams go to the individual event. Good for them, but is that really a good way to determine who enters a state tournament?

If we’re going to have an individual tournament, then maybe it should be separated from the team tournament. Select the best 16 singles players and doubles teams from around the state and have them come to North Central for a weekend after the team tournament is finished. You can base it on win-loss percentage, number of wins, undefeated records – whatever criteria is necessary. The coaches can figure it out. Trust the coaches!

These are just my ideas. I’m sure I’ll think of more, and I’m certain the readers will think of some ideas as well. This is a discussion that needs to continue, to make the tennis post-season more balanced and give everyone a fair chance to go as far as they can in the state tournament.