2008 Doubles

[Babolat Baller]

Anyone Know any good doubles teams for the 2008 season?

[That Asian Guy]

Brent Pham and Brad Lemaire - PN-G.

they just beat Jude and his partner from LC-M.

[Babolat Baller]

Thanks, I was just wondering cuz i've been thinking about playing doubles, and wanted 2 know if there were any good teams to watch out for.

[Guest car ramrod]

Kelly with Boone and Clement were good last year.  H-F has the returning district champions with Bell and Nix.  Westbrook had one good team last year but I do not remember their names.

[Babolat Baller]

I've played Nolan Nix countless times in SETTA tourneys and every time we play it's close either way, with one of us winning by a hair, he would win one then I would win the next, but he said that his partner this year would be weaker than him, but no doubt, Nix and Bell will be a team to watch out for, after all they did go to regionals last year

[sportsfan07]

The doubles for the past two years have been weak! I don't like to talk bad on anyone, but come on. I remember watching it three years ago, and we had teams advancing far in regionals and state. And it was good competition to watch. Now only 1 team or maybe 2 is good, and i don't even say great. I remember watching it three years ago, and three great teams dominated the area, as well as 4 or 5 good teams. The boyton brothers, Minick/Ludecke, and a neederland team and one of them was named pham were great. These teams battled it out all year, and for the past two years, only 1 or 2 teams would casually get to the finals and then play a somewhat difficult match. But three years ago, you had to fight your way through every round. It wasn't such a walkover like it is now. And those teams this past year could not have beaten any of those teams i mentioned a few sentences ago. Now to the warren team, I will say you guys were good, and congradulations on making it as far as you did. For the other teams, You need some work. Sorry if you disagree, but this is my opinion. 

[jake94]

I agree with sportfan07. There is not a whole lot of doubles talent in high school at the moment. I don't think he is bashing anyone, just stating his opinion. The fact of the matter is that juniors are working on their singles games and their coaches are teaching them strategies for singles and ignoring doubles for the most part. They are two TOTALLY different games.

[garsnare]

I think it is a lack of talent period. The only school that has at least 2 champ caliber players is Kelly, and they have 3 champs. No other school has more than 1. Any team with Zat level players or worse realistically has not shot at getting out of regionals. I can't think of too many really good doubles teams to come out of southeast texas in the last 10 years or so. I can think of 5 state qualifiers since 2000. Warren last year, Deaver bros & Warren in 06, Wiggins and Reed of H-J 02 or 03?, and East Chambers in 01. The Boyntons were OK, but they didn't make state in 4A. The Warren team in 06 wasn't very good, but got lucky with a very weak region.

[jake94]

I agree with everything you said, garsnare. It also seems the only doubles success that we had had locally is in the lower classifications(3A,2A,1A). None of the teams that you listed would even do much in regionals at the 4A and 5A level. I think it probably goes back to the mid 90's since a local 4A or 5A doubles team has gone to state.

[garsnare]

Our area is absolutely non-competitive at the 4A and 5A level. Westbrook never makes regionals in team tennis, and rarely gets anyone there in the spring. Nederland is the best 4A program in the area, but they usually lose 1st round in regional team tennis and only win matches at spring regionals when they play inner-city houston 1st round. The reason they can't compete with the Houston area schools is lack of depth. Westbrook has 1 Superchamp guy (Sagar) and 1 Superchamp girl (Sarah Pfister), but nobody else even plays ZATS. Same with Nederland. Grant is a Champ 16, and nobody else plays. In 4A, Foster, Friendswood, and Seven Lakes all have at least 10 champs and supers. Montgomery, which has won regionals in team tennis the last 2 years, has 4 supers on the boys side, and 3 on the girls. You can't compete with only one champ guy.

We are actually pretty strong in 3A and 2A compared to the rest of the state. Warren and East Chambers in 2A, and Silsbee and Kirbyville in 3A all had people at state this year, and came away with two silver medals and a bronze. One good player can really stand out. There is no team tennis, so your depth doesn't get exploited.

[jake94]

I still think it comes down to facilities and country clubs as well. All of the Houston area teams that have numerous champ and superchamp players have the luxury of many country clubs, acadamies, and coaches to choose from. Let's look at Montgomery.. They used to not factor at all before the academy was installed at April Sound, one of THREE resorts(April Sound, DelLago,Walden) in Montgomery. I know that area well, I was relocated there during the hurricane because I have a lakehouse there. I played for about a month with the kids and coaches there because there was nothing else to do. There are some great juniors that train there.

When I played at Nederland in the mid 90's, we were top 10 in the state. But, we were much closer to 10 than we were to 1.. Those top 5 teams were supers and champs thru the WHOLE lineup. You are right when you say that it is not possible to compete against that. We were knocked out at state in team tennis that year by a score of 15-3 by a team named Flower Mound Marcus if I am remembering right. I also remember us getting smoked by San Antonio Alamo Heights.

[SLandry09]

Kirbyville also goes to team tennis.. Haven't advanced in about 4 or 5 years... about that long ago Kirbyville went to state in Team Tennis, but of course like every other town around here, good players are fading.

[UT#1]

the 06 warren team wasnt much weaker than the 07 if any...

[garsnare]

UT #1 - The 07 waren team was much better than the 06 team. Tyler was on both teams, and he improved quite a bit in that year. Scott would beat Brandon Sims 6-0, 6-0 every time. Tyler & Scott worked very hard for a year and became much better at positioning and execution. If they played the 06 team it would not even be close.

SLandry- Does Kirbyville play team tennis in the fall, or only the spring team tennis tournament?

[Babolat Baller]

Kirbyville goes to team tennis in the spring.

I agree with everyone else though, good players are hard to find, and doubles is fading, but there are a few decent towns that are trying to bring it back, but everyone else only cares about singles.

[SLandry09]

Yep.. spring. If we played in the fall.. it'd probably be pretty sad.. haha cause it's so hard for ANY of our tennis players to practice cause most are either in band, volleyball, or football, and the rest only practice when they have to.. which is another reason why not many towns have any talent, cause no one is dedicated enough. >

[UT#1]

6-0 6-0 garsnar?? would you care to set that up and make a wager?? i think 0-0 is a little bit large of a statement there.....i do believe that scott would win but more like 4-5 or something like that....

[garsnare]

I'll make that wager with you any time you want for any amount of money you want. You have either never seen Brandon Sims play, or you are Brandon Sims.

[UT#1]

0-0?? your sure about this?? they have played before when scott was a sophmore and he lost 7-5 i know he has improved tremendously but whatever he has had a raquet in his hand almost everyday since then and sims has played maybe ten times since he graduated but anyway we will have to see

[BABOLAT2]

UT # 1(Brandon  Sims)  SHUT UP

[UT#1]

?? not brandon check the IP address...and who do you think you are?

[CougarFan]

I still think it comes down to facilities and country clubs as well. All of the Houston area teams that have numerous champ and superchamp players have the luxury of many country clubs, acadamies, and coaches to choose from. Let's look at Montgomery.. They used to not factor at all before the academy was installed at April Sound, one of THREE resorts(April Sound, DelLago,Walden) in Montgomery. I know that area well, I was relocated there during the hurricane because I have a lakehouse there. I played for about a month with the kids and coaches there because there was nothing else to do. There are some great juniors that train there.

When I played at Nederland in the mid 90's, we were top 10 in the state. But, we were much closer to 10 than we were to 1.. Those top 5 teams were supers and champs thru the WHOLE lineup. You are right when you say that it is not possible to compete against that. We were knocked out at state in team tennis that year by a score of 15-3 by a team named Flower Mound Marcus if I am remembering right. I also remember us getting smoked by San Antonio Alamo Heights.

I completely agree...we are from Buna and have only 2 courts...that are in sad conditon. My daughter plays doubles here and her and her partner are as dedicated as can be in between volleyball and cheering. We did private lessons at Lamar this summer but you  know it makes a BIG difference when you have those kind of facilities and country clubs "just around the corner". I must say our girls doubles held their on against 2 awesome doubles teams from EC. Even the parents of the EC teams complimented on our girls and couldn't believe how young our varsity teams were. Last year, our girls where just a freshman and sophmore playing 2 hard senior teams from EC. I look forward to district this year for our Buna girls double teams.

By the way the EC varsity teams took 1st & 2nd place and our 2 Buna varsity teams took 3rd & 4th in district!

I cannot say enough about how nice and sportsmanlike EC was at district. (parents and players)

[ilikecupcakes]

Cole Atkinson and Lane Tippet for Kirbyville. . .

Never "actually played" doubles in a tournament for the school yet

but have played in these summer tournaments in beaumont and

made some noise. im taking them to win doubles in district. they play ALOT and want to win. the # 1 and 2 in kville

[sum_body]

doubles will more than likely be a toss up since all the better kids are playing singles. good luck to all who is playing doubles though...

[BABOLAT2]

Doubles will go to the Kelly team.  Whoever they team up this year....most likely will sweep.  If it is Bug and Kenton, Bug and Clement, or Kenton and Clement.  Whatever combinations...their going to win.  Doubles are going to be cake this year.