While it’s March Madness for the next few weeks for millions of basketball fans across America, top level high school tennis players from 20 schools from eight states will have their own version of March Mardness hoping to avoid upsets and come away with the DecoTurf High School Tennis Championship presented by Icy Hot Saturday afternoon.
Girls Division (A&B) March 20-21
Boys Divisions (A&B) March 27-28
In what many feel is arguably the premier prep tennis tournament in the nation, three Chattanooga teams – Baylor and GPS in the A Division and Soddy Daisy in the B Division – will compete with high quality teams from five other states with matches held at Baylor School and the Champions Club.
Led by four-time TSSAA D-II state champion Baylor and Walton (Atlanta), six defending state champions are in the 16-team field for the the ninth annual event which is in Chattanooga for the first time after seven years in Louisville, Ky.
State Champs: The field includes a total of six defending state champions; Baylor (Tenn.), Blessed Trinity (Ga.), Niceville (Fla), Ocean Springs (Miss.), Starr's Mill (Ga.) and Walton (Ga.). Baylor is a three-time DecoTurf champion (2011-12-13 and 2014 runner-up).
For Complete Schedule of Play in A & B Divisions go to www.hstennischampionships.com
A Division: 12 teams –
The Top Four Seeds
1. American Heritage (Delray Beach, FL)
2. Walton (Marietta, GA)
3. Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
4. Baylor (Chattanooga, TN)
State Champs: Niceville (Group A), Starr’s Mill and Pine Crest (Group B), Blessed Trinity and Walton (Group C) and Baylor (Group D)
Each group has three teams with the winners advancing to Saturday morning semis at 10 a.m. at Champions Club with the finals at 3 p.m. also at Champions.
B Division: Eight teams from five states– four in two groups - play two matches Friday and one match Saturday at 8:30 a.m. The championship match is Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the Champions Club. There will also be matches for third, fifth and seventh.
Friday’s Schedule (local teams)
GPS – 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Baylor
Baylor: 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Baylor
Soddy Daisy: 9 a.m. at Baylor … 12:30 p.m. at Champions
Saturday – 8:30 a.m. at Baylor
Coaches Quotes
Sue Bartlett, GPS
“On impacting junior tennis here.....I hope that many of the younger players in town will be able to come and watching this exciting level of high school tennis!”
Jim Pitkanen, Webb School of Knoxville (will compete in boys tourney)
The Deco tournament is a great way to start the season for several reasons. One, it is a a great, great team environment, which allows my team to bond in a way it would take several team matches to accomplish. It kicks up the 'team atmosphere' of cheering for each other and allows that special camaraderie to develop. Two, it is a team tournament, not an individual tournament, so it allows me to mix my lineup both in singles and doubles and watch how they perform at different positions in singles and with different partners in doubles. Three, it typically allows us 4 matches with schools you don't encounter at any other point in the season and it allows you to see competition/competitors from different parts of the country. It also allows you to talk to some of their coaches and see what they're doing with their teams. Also, TSSAA only counts the tournament as only 2 against our 16 total season matches we are allowed to schedule. Four, Brandon (Brandon Fuesner, tournament director) does a great job of promoting and organizing the tournament.
Because of Brandon's work with USTA, Southern and Tennessee he has been to secure ranking points for the kids playing in the tournament in Chattanooga, so it will hopefully replace one of the tournaments that parents have to pay to travel to during the spring. (I have always hoped the spring high school tournaments, Rotary, Harpeth Hall, MBA, would have their tournaments sanctioned as well). Hopefully, as well, that will give another positive reason for parents to want their kid to play high school tennis.
Eric Voges, McCallie School
“High School sports and High School Tennis are a major part of Chattanooga. Having all these teams from all over the country will show people what a great venue Chattanooga has become. The High School Facilities here in town and the Champions Club offer something that a lot of cities don't have. It is exciting when a tournament of this stature is brought to Chattanooga. I feel these visitors like so many will fall in love with Chattanooga.”
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John Naisbitt, Hinsdale Central (Boys) – DecoTurf champs, 2013-14
“The Deco-Turf Tourney is one of the high profile events of the year for America High School tennis. A premier national tournament, it brings together the best of the best. You know you will be tested. There is nothing like playing state champions from another state head-to-head. It brings out the best in us. We love the competition.”
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net