Raising the bar
Brookwood boys tennis completes undefeated regular season.
THOMASVILLE — Jeremy Kasten wasn’t exactly a tennis expert when he signed on to be the head tennis coach at Brookwood School. As it turns out, he didn’t need to be. The talent that has come through Brookwood’s tennis program has been very successful inthe last few years, with the boys winning state titles in 2015 and 2016. The boys squad has turned their success up to another level in 2018, with the Warriors completing their regular season a perfect 12-0 with a win over Valwood on March 30.
The vast majority of Brookwood’s wins weren’t even close. Kasten is quick not to take any credit for his athletes’ results. He’s just trying to spread the good word about them.
“You have this amazing program that you don’t realize is there,” he said. “Part of it is we don’t have courts on campus, part of it is tennis doesn’t have that allure that basketball or football has.”
While the Warriors play in an admittedly weak tennis region, they’ve also secured wins against schools like Chiles High School in Tallahassee, an 7A public school.
“We just have this really nice coincidence where we have this nice pocket of freshmen and sophomore boys right now that have been playing since they were third graders,” Kasten said. “They’ve just become so good — all seven of my lineup are USTA ranked and they travel on the weekends. I think my No. 7 boy would be a No. 1 boy in any other region. That’s how solid they are.”
Leading the charge for Brookwood is Thomas Harrison, the only starting senior. He’s committed to the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Harrison won a state singles title as a sophomore and went to state last year. To help his team out, he decided to switch to doubles this season alongside freshman Bradley Merschman, who won state doubles in eighth grade.
“Doubles is more fun, you’re out there with a partner, you’re high fiveing, pumping each other up between points,” Harrison said. “I think my partner have a chance to win state this year.”
Alden Harrison and Nic Kadel are two freshmen that fill out the No. 2 doubles team, and they have a history that goes way back.
“Growing up they were always rivals,” Kasten said. “They were in the 10-year-old championship finals together. Now we’ve got them playing on a doubles team. They know each other so well. It was always a friendly rivalry but they still always tried to beat each other, and now they work together.”
Andrew Cooper, Merschman’s former doubles partner, has made a transition of his own by switching to No. 2 singles after winning state last year. Landon Carter is the team’s No.
1 player in singles, and is coming off winning GISA Region 3-3A in that category.
Dallas Forsyth is the only person on the team that plays multiple sports, and he may still be centered on tennis. That kind of focus is a big reason for the team’s success.
“I think last year you had a bunch of kids who weren’t as invested in tennis,” Cooper said. “I think this year we have more investment and I think even from last year, the kids that played got even better.”
For Brookwood, getting to state seems to be a foregone conclusion, even with the region tournament coming up next week. The real test will be whathappens after that. If all goes as they expect, the Warriors will be an
underdog against William and Reed Academy in North Georgia, a school that has some Division I tennis players.
“I think what we’re going to have to count on is our lower tier guys like our 3 singles and our doubles,” Thomas Harrison said. “I think we’re good enough this year where we’ll be able to pull off an upset with some of those lower guys.
“I think it’s very in the realm of possibility but it would also be a huge accomplishment. I think I’d have to take a sick day the next day.”
No matter how the rest of the season turns out, it will have been a great year for Brookwood boys tennis. Kasten knows the matchups have’t always been satisfying ones for his players, but is pleased with how they have taken it.
“They’re so used to going to these giant tournaments and facing these really tough opponents and I’m taking the matches that maybe aren’t quite as fulfilling,” Kasten said. “But it’s about being a team and representing Brookwood, which they do well.”
Brookwood School
Located in Thomasville, GA, Brookwood School is a private school for grades JK-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.