By Gerardo Bolong
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

FEDERAL WAY - Tyler Andrews and Austin Sharma of the Mount Rainier boys tennis team had just dropped a 7-3 first set tie-breaker in No. 1 doubles and needed a pick me up. The ignition was fired up after a discussion with Ram head coach Tim Lee before the second set.

"Coach Lee talked about lobbing because they were going to the net so much. Then, we were able to go to the net for short balls and high pop ups,"
said Andrews.

"We started the next set with a fresh mind and forgot about the first set," added Sharma.

Rejuvenated, the Ram tandem charged out to claim an early service break for a 3-0 lead on the way to a dominating 6-0 second set mastery against the tough Decatur pair of Mitchell Grant and Alex Wilson.

The second set showed the Mount Rainier duo claiming an early 2-1 advantage, before the same tactics along with some mental toughness resulted in the Rams running the table for four consecutive points as the Gator pair could not cope well with the prevailing situation. At times, the usual net player for Decatur began points.

"We weren't playing our game in the first set and got into playing their game," Andrews said. "In the second and third sets, they were on their heels and we just kept pushing them back. We were feeling it then."
At times, the normal Decatur net player began points positioned behind his own baseline as a result of the lobbing strategy that enabled left hander Andrews to power forehand winners down the baseline and through the middle alleys.

On the other hand, Grant and Wilson had problems executing their own strategy.

"It was frustrating," said Gator coach John Cassens. "It was like a bad dream, going over and over. Basically, our No. 1 doubles team couldn't execute the strategy we had prepared. They just didn't have it, today."
Chase Michaels and Jack Neer fought hard, but Decatur's Daniel Calderon and Tyler Lam were just a shade better in closing out the matches with a 6-3, 6-3, No. 3 doubles win to make the final match score, SPSL 4A North Mount Rainier 3, SPSL 4A Central Decatur 2.

In the matches preceding the deciding action, Sam Verbon established early control and embellished it throughout in a No. 1 singles 6-3, 6-0, triumph against Decatur's Nathan Wheelwright.

"I was good coming into net and was able to use my backhand, slices and drop shots at net," he said.

Kevin Nguyen stayed steady and went to the net regularly to stroke past Philip Cho, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 2 singles to send Mount Rainier ahead in match wins, 2-0.

In a tough, two-set battle, the Decatur duo of Philip Kim and Kyle Hawkins outlasted Milan Crone and Danny Vujic 6-4, 6-4, to earn a No. 2 doubles win and set up the deciding battle for supremacy of the day.

"Kepe Bonner (half of the normal Ram No. 1 doubles team) texted me earlier in the day to let me know he was sick," Ram coach Lee concluded. "When I was doing lineups, I was relying on seniors and put them in No. 1 and No. 2 singles as well as No. 1 doubles. They came through for us, especially the No. 1 doubles who came back and executed well after the first set tie-breaker loss."