The class of 2011 made a memorable last impression for the Belleville West boys tennis team.
Six seniors – two doubles teams and two singles players – combined to score 19 points as West finished eighth in the IHSA state tournament, held May 26-28 in suburban Chicago. That was one place better than the Maroons' finish in 2010.
West's No. 1 doubles team of Scott Segobiano and James Stathis led the way, posting a 5-2 record. They rolled through their first three rounds, losing a only eight games, before a 6-4, 7-5 victory in the fourth round over Nate Jacobson and Rob Jacobson of Winnetka New Trier.
After a 6-1, 6-3 quarterfinal loss to Devin Jones and Luke Trinka of Oak Park River Forest, Segobiano and Stathis came back with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Konrad Riba and Michael Levin of Glenbrook South in the consolation quarterfinals. The West duo was eliminated from the tourney with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 loss to the Jacobson brothers in the semifinals of the back draw.
"Scott and James had a really great state tournament, especially the first day when they lost only a handful of games in their first three matches," said Maroons coach Andy Brunner. "Reaching the quarterfinals last year really helped them. They were confident and knew what to expect.
"They scored nine points for us, which is huge because it really gets tough after two rounds. By Friday, all the mediocre players are gone.
"They have a lot of heart, and they both have a lot of athleticism. As a combination, they really click."
West's top singles player, Max McLean, had a 4-2 record and scored six team points. After winning his first two matches, McLean lost 6-1, 6-3 to Toby Ma from Deerfield. In the consolation bracket, McLean won 6-2, 6-3 over Brandon Harris of Edwardsville and 7-6, 6-2 over Brad Holt of Homewood Flossmoor before dropping a 6-1, 6-1 decision to Gordon Zhang of Naperville North.
"When you get to the third round, you're facing some of the top players in the state, and in Illinois, they could be some of the top players in the country," Brunner said. "Max rebounded well and got two wins in the back draw, so he got one round farther than he did last year. He also beat Edwardsville's No. 1 player for the fourth time this season."
Sam Edwards and Hayden Quandt, West's No. 2 doubles team, had a 3-2 record. After a first-round loss, they won three matches in the consolation bracket (including a pair of three-set victories) before losing 6-0, 6-4 to Pat Logan and Pat Spain of Alton.
"They drew a seeded team in the first round, but when they lost that match, they realized the tournament wasn't over for them," Brunner said. "I'm proud of the way they competed in the back draw."
West's No. 2 singles player, Blake Hollenbeck, had a 1-2 record. After a first-round loss, he came back to earn a 6-2, 6-2 win over Charlie Vogel of Elgin Academy before being eliminated with a 6-2, 6-0 loss to Mike Vale of Wheaton St. Francis.
"Blake just got the one point for us, but it was big because it propelled us over Naperville Neuqua Valley into eighth place all by ourselves," Brunner said.
Having a hometown cheering section may have helped the Maroons' cause.
"The kids had a lot of family and friends up there and they were really supportive," Brunner said. "That was a big deal for our players because it's a five-hour drive to get up there."
West will have an all-new varsity lineup next season. Of the 18 players on this year's roster, nine were seniors.
"That's not just nine kids - it's our top nine," Brunner said. "We've got some good athletes, and I'd like to see what they can go. If they work on their game this summer, we can be competitive next year."
TENNIS NOTES: Two other St. Clair County teams also sent players to the state tournament. Belleville East, which finished second to West at the sectional, qualified two singles players and two doubles teams.
East's Christian Hamilton and Zach Fields posted a 2-2 record in doubles. After a first-round loss, they won their first match in the consolation bracket and followed that with a 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Blake Croegaert and Daniel Rowley of Geneseo. They were eliminated with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Jeremy Falbo and Justin Dancu of Lincoln-Way East.
The Lancers' other doubles team, Ty Skaer and Scott Spitze, had a 1-2 record at state. After a first-round loss, they won 6-3, 6-3 over Matt Guenther and Nick Tabor of Ottawa. In the second round of the back draw, they lost 6-4, 7-6 to Alex Mestre and Edo Roth of Urbana University High.
East singles player Lucas Birk was 1-2, posting a 6-4, 6-1 win over Justin Bowman of St. Charles East in the first round of the consolation bracket.
Freshman Aaron Skaer, East's second singles player, lost both of his matches.
O'Fallon had four players at state, including John McKeown and J.D. Owens, who were 1-2 in singles. After a first-round loss, they bounced back with a three-set win over Kevin Campbell and Evan Dirksen of Chicago Morgan Park. In the second round of the back draw, they lost another three-set match to Jackson Rettig and Will Graft of Aurora Marmion Academy.
In singles, O'Fallon's Jonathan Mielke was 1-2, including a 6-3, 6-2 win over James Zeeman of New Lenox Providence Catholic in the first round of the consolation bracket.
O'Fallon's other singles player, Nic Lancaster, was 0-2.
