The Clayton boys tennis team is going to try to accomplish something today that has not been done since the state began the current format for the state tournament in 1988.
The Greyhounds are attempting to become the first public school to win the Class 1 team tournament. Private schools MICDS, John Burroughs, Pembroke Hill and Thomas Jefferson have been the only Class 1 team champions in the last 22 years.
"When you are a coach at a public school, you have to have the moon, sun and stars lined up right to have a chance to compete with the private schools," Clayton coach Susie Luten said.
Luten hopes everything is lined up Thursday as the Greyhounds, who have six second place finishes at state, compete in the final four at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
Clayton (13-4) will take on Westminster Christian Academy (15-0) in the semifinals at 9 a.m. Pembroke Hill (15-0) and Warrensburg (15-1) meet in the other Class 1 semifinal at the same time with the championship match scheduled for around 1 p.m.
The Greyhounds graduated Orion Wilkinson, a four-time state doubles medalist, last year but they brought in a pair of talented freshmen who have led the way this season.
Mac Rechan has had an outstanding season at No. 1 singles with an 18-2 record. His only losses have come against Charlie Curtis of MICDS and Mick Lyons of Lafayette. Junior Jake Lee, who played some No. 1 singles as a freshman, is playing at No. 2 singles with Joey Dulle, another freshman, at No. 3.
"I was asked a while back when I was going to retire from coaching," said Luten, who is in her 12th season as Clayton coach. "I said I was going to wait until Mac and Joey got into high school and coach another four years with them. I have been fortunate enough to coach a couple of individual state champions (Josh Goldstein and Joey Nicolazzi) but as freshmen, Mac and Joey are much better players."
Luten will need big performances from Rechan and Dulle if they hope to get past Westminster, which is making its fifth appearance in the final four in the past seven years.
Clayton and Westminster played in the regular season, although it was in a different format than the one used at state. The state format is a six singles-three doubles one in which players can compete in both singles and doubles.
"If we would have used the state format, Westminster would have won 5-4," Luten said. "I think it is going to be a very close match, 50-50. We are very strong with our top three players and they are very deep. We will need to play extremely well to beat them."
Rechan won his match at No. 1 singles over Westminster's Timmy Miller in the regular season.
"Hopefully I can do my part in both singles and doubles," Rechan said. "I am expecting a close match. It will probably come down to one of the doubles matches."
The winner of the Clayton-Westminster match would likely face defending champion Pembroke Hill in the championship match and be a distinct underdog.
"Pembroke Hill has six guys who all play in Missouri Valley tournaments," Rechan said. "Anything can happen, but we would need to play really, really well to beat them."
Parkway Central (16-2) and Lafayette (19-5) are the local teams playing in the Class 2 final four. And like Clayton and Westminster, those schools will be searching for their first team championship. They face each other in the semifinals at 9 a.m.
Rock Bridge (22-2) and Rockhurst (10-1) play in the other semifinal. That is a rematch of last year's state championship match which was won by Rock Bridge, 5-4. It was the second state title in the last three years for the Bruins. Rockhurst has won 12 state titles, including 10 in succession, since 1996.
