The Redbirds fielded perhaps their finest tennis team in school history in 2001.  After a youthful, inexperienced 2000 season, Metamora entered the 2001 campaign with a much greater amount of poise as well as a higher level of expectations.  Six lettermen returned from the previous year (Andy Gravlin, Chad Whittington, Tony Winkler, Tim Tisseret, Ty Wyffels, and Joe Harris), and the line-up was also bolstered by the emergence of freshman Kyle Shoff and sophomore Andy Ngo.

The entire season was a highlight for the Redbirds.  Metamora fared very well in tournament play, finishing 2nd in the Peoria Central Invitational, 2nd in the Morton Invitational, and an all-time best 5th in the rugged 16-team Bloomington Invitational.  At Bloomington, the Birds finished ahead of the likes of Danville, Springfield, Morton, Galesburg, and Normal Community as well as many others.

Metamora finished with an overall dual record of 13-3 in 2001, establishing a new school record for victories in the process.  Included among the wins were decisions against two new opponents, Lincoln and DeKalb, and a first ever victory at conference and sectional champion Dunlap.  The 5-4 win at Dunlap broke a string of four consecutive 9-0 losses at the hands of the Eagles and was the most outstanding moment to date in the history of Redbird tennis.  Metamora reversed two other losses from the 2000 season, defeating Normal U-High and Peoria Woodruff, both by the count of 8-1.

The Mid-Illini Conference was again outstanding as a whole.  Morton lost a dual match for the first time in two years, falling to Dunlap once after beating them earlier in the season.  The Potters finished 12-1 and advanced four players to the state tournament.  Dunlap sneaked away with the conference title despite losing to both Morton and Metamora once during the season.  They lost no others, however, as they compiled a 13-2 record and a sectional championship while also sending four players to the state tournament.  Washington had its first tennis bright spot in many years in the name of foreign exchange student Mario Panzic, who won every match he played en route to conference and sectional titles before losing in the second round of the state tournament.  The other two Mid-Illini schools, East Peoria and Limestone, were both competitive, as they showed by defeating Peoria Woodruff and Peoria Notre Dame out of the Mid-State Six Conference.

Individually, the season was a success as well.  Andy Gravlin was named to the All-Conference team for the third consecutive year.  He also made his third trip to the state tournament as a participant, qualifying for the first time as a singles player.  Andy won twice and lost twice at state, thereby finishing in the 49th through 64th place group, an outstanding accomplishment in a very good tennis state.  He ended his Redbird career as the all-time leader in doubles victories and stands in second place on the all-time list of cumulative singles and doubles wins.  For the second year in a row, he was also named the team’s Most Valuable Player.  The 2001 season was the eighth and final year of having a Gravlin on the varsity roster.

Ty Wyffels and Kyle Shoff also advanced to the state tournament as a doubles team by virtue of their fourth place finish at the Peoria Sectional.  The duo lost both of their matches at the state’s best tournament but returned with the experience of having played there and the desire to perform better in future visits.  In addition to having a fine doubles season, Shoff finished with a 16-0 record as a singles player, an outstanding beginning to what promises to become a memorable high school career.

Metamora’s other doubles team, Chad Whittington and Tony Winkler, fell just short of a state berth with a 6-3, 7-5 loss to Dunlap in the state qualifying round.  The other singles player for Metamora, Joe Harris, has a very good sophomore year highlighted by a 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of Dunlap’s Chester Dien in their second encounter.  Undoubtedly, his sights are set on qualifying for the big dance next year.

Ty Wyffels was named the team’s Most Dedicated Player, and Andy Ngo was dubbed the Most Improved Player.  Realistically, these awards could have gone to several Redbirds, as the work ethic and desire to improve reached levels heretofore unseen at Metamora High School.  The two departing seniors, Andy Gravlin and Chad Whittington, will be sorely missed in the seasons to come, but the returning nucleus of talent should help propel Metamora to even greater accomplishments in the near future.