Some of the accomplishments of the ’10 team seem impossible to imagine in a league as full of intense competition as the Mid-Illini Conference has been over the past decade.  However, this year’s group raised the bar in a league that had already set it remarkably high over the years.  Here are some of the 2010 team’s achievements:

*  Metamora swept through the Mid-Illini Conference unbeaten for the second straight year, winning every conference dual match by a 9-0 score.  The Redbirds also swept all four flights at the league tournament, thereby finishing the season with an overall record of 62-0 against Mid-Illini competition.  This perfection will be difficult for any conference team to ever duplicate.

*  Not only were the Redbirds Mid-Illini champs for the fourth straight year, they were also sectional champs for the fourth year in a row.  Metamora won the Peoria Sectional championship with ease, piling up 34 points (2nd place was 18 points).  Senior Stephan Rauh won the singles title over freshman teammate Kevin Wang.  Seniors David Stewart and Nate Wilson won the doubles title, while senior teammates Ryan Donnelly and Greg Coffman finished fourth.  It was the second time in three years that Metamora qualified all six players for the state meet.

*  Metamora’s tennis team won the season-opening indoor quad for the first time ever, besting Moline, Danville, and Springfield in a tremendous day of tennis at the start of the season.

*  The Redbirds also had fine tournaments at the Red & White Invite (2nd by one point to Barrington), Bloomington (3rd of 16), and Edwardsville (2nd of 16) as well as scoring their highest ever point total at mini-state.

*  Metamora ended the season with a 10th place finish at the single-class state tournament.  This finish represented only the second time in the last 35 years that a public school with under 1,000 students finished in the state’s top ten and was an achievement that will forever define the 2010 Metamora tennis team.

*  The Redbirds finished 21-1 in dual matches against some of the state’s best teams.  Wins over Gurnee Warren, Naperville Central, Springfield, Moline, Quincy, Troy Triad, Quincy Notre Dame, Bloomington, Richwoods, Pekin, and Danville were particularly impressive ones.  The only blemish on the record was a 3-2 setback to Edwardsville in the championship match of the Tiger Duals in Edwardsville.

Individually, the season was quite successful as well.  There were many individual achievements; here are a few.

*  Stephan Rauh won tournament titles at Metamora, Bloomington, the Mid-Illini tournament, and the Peoria Sectional.  He was also unbeaten at the Edwardsville Invite.  Stephan lost to no one outside of the Chicago metro area all year and was the only non-Chicago area player to finish in the state’s top 16 at season’s end.  Remarkably, he did not drop more than two games in any set against anyone within 50 miles of Peoria all season.  He was named second team all-state in singles and was the Peoria Journal Star Tennis Player of the Year.  He also earned the Tom Pitchford Sportsmanship Award, an honor bestowed upon the greatest sportsman in the state of Illinois.  Stephan was also one of 26 students in the entire state (all sports combined) named to the IHSA All-State Academic Team.  He was class valedictorian and finished 2nd in the state of Illinois in cross country in the fall.  Needless to say, he will be sorely missed.

*  David Stewart and Nate Wilson won tournament titles at Metamora, the Mid-Illini tournament, and the Peoria Sectional.  They were also both undefeated on the season as singles players and were a combined 62-5 in singles over the last three years.  The duo finished the season in the state’s top 16 doubles teams, earning second team All-State status.

*  Kevin Wang won the #2 singles draw at the Mid-Illini tournament and was unbeaten on the season against area competition other than his teammate.  He finished 2nd in the Peoria Sectional (losing to Rauh in the final) and won a round at the state tournament.  He also finished 2nd at the Metamora Invite and 3rd at the Bloomington Invite.  Kevin piled up 31 singles wins, far eclipsing the old freshman record of 19.

*  Ryan Donnelly and Greg Coffman won the #2 doubles draw at the Mid-Illini tournament.  They finished 2nd at the Metamora Invite and 4th at the Bloomington Invite and Peoria Sectional.

*  Rauh, Stewart, Wilson, Wang, and Donnelly all made the 8-person All-Conference 1st team, while Coffman was named to the 2nd team.  It was the third year in a row that all six Redbird players were named All-Conference.

*  Rauh and Stewart each won their third sectional title, Stewart with his third different doubles partner.  Only three other players in league history share that accomplishment.

* Metamora had more than six good tennis players, as Christoph Goettler (29-4 overall record), Quinn Vaughn (22-8), and David Schrader (8-3) also had impressive seasons, while senior Justin Rauh and juniors Jason Rainville and Jake Martin were unbeaten in limited varsity action.  Most of these young men will be some of Metamora’s leaders for the 2011 campaign.

The senior class of 2010 left a lasting legacy at Metamora High School, one that will be difficult to ever duplicate.  On the court, they were outstanding.  They won four Mid-Illini titles, four Sectional titles, and finished in the state’s top ten.  They continued and expanded upon the tradition of excellence that Metamora tennis teams have established over the past decade.

Even more than that, though, they forged friendships and created memories that will live on for years.  Personally, I know that the times I have shared with this group, beginning when they were little kids, are times that I will never forget and feel privileged to have had.  That these young men arrived with such outstanding families is an enormous added benefit; again, I feel very fortunate to have been part of such a teriffic group of people.

The returnees in 2011 will have some giant shoes to fill.  While it is not fair to expect them to take up right where this year’s team left off, I am confident they will strive to meet the expectations to which the Metamora tennis program has become accustomed.  Hopefully, the never-ending work ethic, comraderie, and good times they witnessed and shared with the class of 2010 will inspire them to continue to work hard in the future so that more amazing memories can be made.  I am confident this will be the case.

I will admit that I didn’t want to write this season recap, because it represents my final official act involving the class of 2010, a once-in-a-lifetime group.  Alas, time marches on.  Four years pass in the blink of an eye.

This coach is very proud of the Metamora Redbird tennis team of 2010.  Congratulations to the Metamora Redbird tennis team on a record-breaking, exceptional 2010 season!!

See also — Stephan Rauh Named to IHSA All-State Academic Team

Metamora senior Stephan Rauh successfully defended his 2009 title, although it didn’t come easily.  Rauh played an unusually poor match in the first round but held on to defeat Galesburg’s Brandon Meeker.  He tore through quarterfinal and semi-final matches against Normal Community and Springfield before battling Tinley Park Andrew’s Jacob Tanulanond in the championship.  The final took three hours and ended with Rauh outlasting Tanulanond, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.  Tanulanond finished in the state’s top 24 last year, so this victory was a good one for Stephan.  His determination, intelligence on the court, and demeanor throughout his matches continue to make everyone at MTHS incredibly proud.

Freshman Kevin Wang had a good day at #2 singles.  After an easy first round win, he found himself matched up against Centennial’s foreign exchange student, Mauricio Gonzales.  Wang played flawlessly, dismissing Gonzales, 6-1, 6-1.  In the semis, Wang ran out of steam against Edwardsville’s Cam Randall, but he rebounded nicely in the third place match, defeating Springfield’s Charlie Hoogland, 6-0, 6-3.

In doubles, Metamora advances all three of its teams to the semi-finals easily.  In the semis, though, Metamora found itself on the wrong end of three third set super tie-breakers.  The Redbirds lost all three breakers to the eventual champions of the flights.

Metamora’s #1 doubles duo of David Stewart and Nate Wilson lost 6-7(4), 6-3, 10-5 to the Springfield team of Gaffigan and Piland.  In the third place match, Stewart and Wilson suffered another unfortunate third set tie-break loss to Edwardsville’s Leskera and Leskera, 6-4, 3-6, 10-6.

The #2 doubles team of Ryan Donnelly and Greg Coffman played an outstanding first set in the semi-finals, defeating Grant Robinson and Ben Trapp of Springfield, 6-3.  However, the Springfield team regrouped to win the second set and captured the third set tie-break, 10-7.  Donnelly and Coffman lost another close match for 3rd place to St. Charles North.

At #3 doubles, Quinn Vaughn and Christoph Goettler extended Edwardsville to a third set tie-break but were also unable to win it.  In the third place match, the Redbird duo easily defeated St. Charles North.

With all of the third set tie-break losses, Metamora narrowly missed the tournament championship.  Edwardsville and Springfield shared the title with 35 points while Metamora amassed 31.  St. Charles North and Tinley Park Andrew were 4th and 5th with 25 and 19 points, respectively.

See complete Metamora results here.

The first two rounds of the tournament took place at a junior high in Edwardsville.  The wind was whipping around 30 miles per hour, and the conditions were very difficult.  In the first round, Metamora played the Terriers of Carbondale High School.  Carbondale came within an eyelash of winning their own sectional in 2009, but they graduated the bulk of their team.  The Redbirds breezed through the first round, winning 5-0 while only dropping 3 games.  The second round brought the Edwardsville – Orange squad.  Metamora played just well enough to advance, taking the dual 3-2.  Stephan Rauh, David Stewart, Christoph Goettler, Quinn Vaughn, and David Schrader were 2-0 on the day for the Redbirds.

Day two featured a late start due to overnight rains.  This prompted the tournament organizers to eliminate one of the three rounds scheduled for Saturday.  Therefore, Metamora began the day in the semi-finals of their half of the tournament instead of the quarterfinals (the tournament was split into two halves, each treated as a separate event).

In the semis, Metamora battled perennial power Naperville Central.  In a friendly yet spirited match, the Redbirds prevailed 3-2 on the strength of two singles wins by Stephan Rauh and Kevin Wang and a #2 doubles triumph by David Stewart and Christoph Goettler.  The Redbird doubles teams were altered throughout the tournament due to Metamora being without senior Nate Wilson.  However, the Redbird players who were in attendance picked up the slack and represented MTHS quite nicely.

The championship match pitted Metamora against the Edwardsville Tigers.  EHS has fantastic players every year, and 2010 is certainly no exception.  Metamora was able to record wins at #1 singles (Rauh) and #2 doubles (Stewart and Goettler) and had a set point at #3 doubles before losing.  However, the match of the tournament occurred at #2 singles.  Metamora freshman Kevin Wang battled for over two hours with Edwardsville’s Cam Randall.  Wang lost the first set quickly 6-0 but regrouped to take the second set 7-5.

In the third and decisive set, the number of fans grew, as the 3rd place matches had finished and all of the other players, fans, and coaches came to watch the exciting finish.  Wang played brilliantly in jumping to a 5-3 third set lead, but Randall played equally as well in winning the last four games to capture the third set, 7-5.  It was one of the most exciting, good-for-tennis 45-minute periods this coach has witnessed in many years.

The Redbird tennis team can be very proud of battling two exceptional teams in the semis and finals without one of its best players.  The facility at Edwardsville High School is perhaps the finest high school tennis facility in Illinois, and the exciting conclusion to the tournament allowed memories to be made that will be cherished for years.

The other half of the tournament saw Downers Grove South defeat Belleville West, 4-1, in the championship match.  Springfield and Naperville Central were the two 3rd place winners, with Naperville Central beating Rockford Guilford and Springfield downing Lafayette of Missouri.

See complete Metamora results here.