CURTIS FOUND HIS WILL AGAINST WELTE IN STATE FINALS
MICDS senior Charlie Curtis entered the Class 1 singles championship match with a record of 27-0.
But there was nothing Curtis could do in the first set against Will Welte, the No. 1 player from team champion Pembroke Hill. Welte played almost perfect tennis, winning the set 6-2.
"He was unbelievable in that first set," Curtis said. "I think he had only two unforced errors in that whole set. I felt he could go only so long playing that way."
Curtis was hoping that Welte would come back to earth, and that happened right away in the second set.
"He made two errors on the first two points of the second game," Curtis said.
And when the door is opened for Curtis, he is likely to take advantage. Curtis did so, winning the final two sets 6-1, 6-3 to cap an undefeated senior season as the Class 1 state champion.
The perfect season earned Curtis the distinction of being the Post-Dispatch All-Metro boys tennis player of the year.
"I can't believe I did it," Curtis said. "When I got to that last set, I told myself that this was going to be my last set of high school in my life and I had to focus on each and every point. The undefeated season was in the back of my mind, but winning a state title was in the front of my mind."
It was not easy, as Welte made Curtis work for each point, including the match and championship point which was Curtis at his best. Curtis, who is a tremendous defensive player, forced a long rally. He finally had his chance to finish it off, and he did so with a running cross-court winner.
"It was a risky play, but it was something I wanted to do on championship point," Curtis said.
The three-set match was only the third in the season for Curtis, who dispatched a vast majority of his opponents in two quick sets. But he was challenged in the state tournament, where his semifinal win also was in three sets. He defeated Barstow's Christopher Frye 6-2, 4-6, 6-0. Frey had finished second in singles in last year's state tournament. Curtis was third in singles in 2010.
The individual state title was a great bookend for Curtis' high school career. He was a key member of an MICDS championship team as a freshman.
"I have been fortunate to coach a guy like Charlie," said MICDS coach Patrick Huewe, who himself was a state singles champion while playing at Springfield Glendale. "He was a great leader on the team and was just a class act on the court."
The team title and individual state championship are a great opening chapter to the tennis career for Curtis, who also played soccer for the Rams for four years. Tennis will be the focus next year, though, as Curtis will play at Trinity University in San Antonio.
