Metamora – The 2019 Redbird tennis season was full of thrills and successes.  The Redbirds returned three state qualifiers from the 2018 campaign and had terrific depth throughout the roster.  When all was said and done, Metamora had another truly terrific season.  Here are a few highlights:

•  Metamora finished with a dual record of 21-1, improving its four-year record to 83-6.

•  The Redbirds were the champions of the season opening indoor quad, the 8-team Red & White Invite, the Washington quad, and the 6-team Ottawa Invite.

• At the conference tournament, the Redbirds finished 2nd to Dunlap.  Michael Poppen and Brian Lelm finished 2nd at #1 doubles, losing an epic three-hour championships match.  Brett Manwaring and Joey Shallat were also 2nd at #2 doubles.  Ethan Greenfield placed 3rd at #1 singles, while teammate Cullen Nevitt was 3rd at #2 singles.  Metamora entries in the league tournament have now played in a stunning 41 of the last 48 finals.

• At the Ottawa Sectional, Metamora repeated its 2018 domination, scoring 35 of a possible 36 points for the second straight year.  For the second year in a row, the Redbirds qualified all six players for the state meet.  Ethan Greenfield played his teammate Cullen Nevitt in the championship match, winning his first singles sectional title after capturing the doubles crown a year ago.  Michael Poppen and Brian Lelm won the sectional doubles crown with a 6-4, 6-0 win over a top 8 state seeded team from Washington.  It was the 14th consecutive year that Metamora had a doubles team in the sectional championship match.  Joey Shallat and Brett Manwaring finished 3rd in the sectional.  In the team standings, Washington was 2nd with 16 points.

• At the state meet, the doubles team of Poppen and Lelm, seeded in the top 8, finished in the top 16 to lead the Redbirds to a 7th place team finish.  Greenfield finished in the top 24 in the singles field, giving Metamora three all-state performers.

Individually, the season was spectacular.  There were so many individual achievements; here are a few:

• Michael Poppen played #1 singles for the second consecutive year and posted a combined 29 singles and doubles wins.  After winning a sectional title in singles in 2018, his doubles title in 2019 gave him a nice set of medals.  He capped off his career by being named second team all-state in doubles.

• Ethan Greenfield’s junior year began with the expectation of playing mostly doubles but changed to singles near the end of the season.  The versatile Redbird captured the singles sectional title, losing only one game in the entire event.  He then placed in the top 24 at the state meet, earning third team all-state.  For the season, his overall record was 38-12.

• Sophomore Brian Lelm had a sensational season, putting up an overall record of 39-14.  He partnered with Poppen at the sectional and state meets, earning second team all-state accolades.

• Joey Shallat (39-10), Brett Manwaring (36-11), Cullen Nevitt (28-13), Ryan Lowe (24-2), Jeremiah Poppen (23-3), Harry Hawbaker (17-1), and Sam Vogel (5-0) also posted gaudy win-loss records.  Shallat and Manwaring qualified for the state tournament in doubles, and Nevitt did so in singles, finishing 2nd after being seeded 5th at the sectional level.  This depth allowed Metamora to be extremely difficult to play against in a dual match format, as the Redbirds had so many players capable of manning the lower positions in the line-up.

• Poppen, Greenfield, and Lelm were named first team all-conference.

The 2019 Redbird tennis team had terrific camaraderie, outstanding talent throughout the line-up, and a work ethic that propelled the team to wonderful results.  For the second straight year, Metamora was only defeated a single time in dual match play.  Qualifying all six players for the state meet and finishing in the top ten at state for the second time in the last three years were certainly highlights.  But the biggest memories, as always, will come from the little moments at practice or on the bus or in the hotel rooms.  These guys were great friends and truly enjoyed each other’s company.  I certainly did as well.

Congratulations to the Metamora Redbird tennis team on another fantastic season!!

Redbirds Take Summer Trip to Champaign

Champaign – (6/19) – For the eighth consecutive year, the Redbird tennis team played a summer team event at the Atkins Center on the campus of the University of Illinois.  Metamora took a 12-person team to battle squads from Morton, Troy Triad, and the Champaign area.  The Redbirds played 52 individual matches throughout the weekend, winning 43!

Metamora  16, Troy Triad  2

1  Win  (Lelm)  6-4, 6-1
2  Win  (Greenfield)  6-1, 6-0
3  Win  (Shallat)  6-3, 6-0
4  Win  (Hawbaker)  6-3, 6-2
5  Win  (Lowe)  6-1, 6-1
6  Win  (Geurink)  6-3, 6-1
7  Win  (Nevitt)  6-1, 6-0
8  Win  (Klobnak)  6-2, 6-2
9  Win  (Short)  6-2, 6-0
10 Win  (Russell)  6-2, 6-3
11 Win  (Hammond)  6-2, 6-3
12 Loss  (Schroff)  6-4, 6-3

1  Win  (Lelm / Greenfield)  6-1, 6-1
2  Win  (Shallat / Hawbaker)  6-0, 6-3
3  Win  (Lowe / Geurink)  6-3, 6-3
4  Win  (Nevitt / Short)  6-0, 6-2
5  Win  (Klobnak / Russell)  6-3, 6-2
6  Loss  (Schroff / Hammond)  6-2, 4-6, 10-4

Metamora  12, Champaign  4

1  Win  (Lelm)  8-2
2  Win  (Greenfield)  8-4
3  Loss  (Shallat)  8-1
4  Win  (Hawbaker)  8-0
5  Win  (Lowe)  8-5
6  Win  (Geurink)  8-2
7  Loss  (Nevitt)  8-4
8  Loss  (Klobnak)  8-3
9  Win  (Short)  8-4
10 Win  (Russell)  8-4

1  Win  (Lelm / Greenfield)  6-3, 7-6
2  Win  (Shallat / Hawbaker)  6-3, 6-3
3  Win  (Lowe / Geurink)  6-0, 6-4
4  Win  (Nevitt / Short)  6-2, 6-3
5  Loss  (Klobnak / Russell)  6-3, 6-3
6  Win  (Hammond / Schroff)  6-0, 6-0

Metamora  15, Morton  3

1  Win  (Lelm)  8-2
2  Win  (Greenfield)  8-0
3  Win  (Shallat)  8-0
4  Win  (Hawbaker)  8-3
5  Win  (Lowe)  8-3
6  Loss  (Geurink)  8-3
7  Win  (Nevitt)  8-1
8  Loss  (Klobnak)  8-2
9  Win  (Short)  8-6
10 Win  (Russell)  8-6
11 Win  (Hammond)  8-1
12 Win  (Schroff)  8-0

1  Win  (Greenfield / Shallat)  6-0, 6-0
2  Win  (Lelm / Geurink)  6-0, 6-2
3  Win  (Hawbaker / Lowe)  6-0, 6-2

4  Win  (Nevitt / Short)  6-4, 6-4
5  Win  (Russell / Hammond)  6-2, 8-10, 10-2
6  Loss  (Klobnak / Schroff)  6-2, 3-6, 10-8

Redbirds Finish 7th at IHSA State Meet

Michael Poppen, Brian Lelm, Ethan Greenfield Named All-State

Arlington Heights – (5/25/19) – Metamora’s tennis team took all 6 sectional participants to the state meet in 2019, as the Redbirds qualified all six entrants for only the fifth time in school history but the second year in a row.

Ethan Greenfield won three matches in the singles draw, including an excellent 8-5 victory over a top 16 seeded player.  He finished in the 17th-24th place group, earning all-state recognition.  Ethan is only the third Redbird player in history to earn all-state honors as a singles player, joining former standouts Will Koehrsen and Stephan Rauh in that elite group.  Cullen Nevitt also played singles for the Redbirds, and he was able to win a match in the back draw to finish in the 33rd-48th place group.  Cullen nearly won a second match, falling in a third set tie-breaker in his final match of his high school career.

Michael Poppen and Brian Lelm won twice in the main draw and once in the back draw to finish 13th-16th place and earn second team all-state.  The duo was seeded in the top 8 but ran into a very accomplished team from Wheaton Academy in the third round.  In the back draw, Poppen and Lelm recorded a nice win over Champaign Centennial before bowing out 8-5 to rival Dunlap.  Joey Shallat and Brett Manwaring also played doubles at the state meet for the Redbirds.  After playing a fantastic first round match (a 6-4, 6-3 loss to a top 16 seed), the duo found itself dismissed from the back draw by a very good team from Urbana University.

Overall, Metamora’s ten team points allowed the Redbirds to finish 7th in the third year of the two-class state tournament.  It was Metamora’s second top ten finish in the last three years and third in school history.  Congratulations to all!

Redbirds Win IHSA Sectional Championship 

All Six Redbird Players Qualify for the State Meet

Ottawa – (5/18/19) – The 2019 Redbird tennis team lived up to its pre-season expectations and then some, dominating the Ottawa Sectional and taking home the title while qualifying all six players for the state meet.  For the second year in a row, Metamora scored 35 of a possible 36 points at the event, despite only being seeded to score 28.  Ethan Greenfield and Cullen Nevitt finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, in singles, while Michael Poppen and Brian Lelm won the doubles title.  Joey Shallat and Brett Manwaring finished 3rd in doubles for the Redbirds.

Junior Ethan Greenfield earned his first singles trip to state after two years of playing doubles, dropping only one games in the entire tournament.  In the final, he beat senior teammate Cullen Nevitt, 6-0, 6-0.  Cullen, the #5 seed in the tournament, advanced to the finals by beating the #3 seed in the quarterfinals and the #1 seed in the semifinals.  Greenfield’s sectional title was Metamora’s tenth sectional singles crown in school history.

In doubles, senior Michael Poppen and sophomore Brian Lelm captured the sectional title with a dominating 6-4, 6-0 win over eventual state top eight finishers Ethan Sabotta and Jake Valencic from Washington.  Poppen and Lelm were sharp throughout the tournament, dropping only 7 games in 8 sets.  Junior Joey Shallat and senior Brett Manwaring, seeded fourth, finished third with a nice 6-2, 6-4 win over Pontiac’s #1 doubles duo in the third place match.  The doubles crown for Poppen and Lelm was Metamora’s eleventh sectional doubles title all-time and represented the 14th year in a row that Metamora has had a doubles team in the sectional championship match.

In the team race, Metamora finished a distant first with 35 points.  Washington finished second with 16 points.  The sectional plaque was Metamora’s eleventh in the last seventeen years.  Congratulations to the Redbirds!!

Redbirds 2nd at Mid-Illini Tournament

East Peoria – (5/11/19) – The 2019 Mid-Illini Conference tournament, contested at Illinois Central College, featured many teams and individuals that would have big state success a couple weeks later.  The competition was fierce, with Dunlap winning its fourth straight title in the event.  The Eagles became only the fourth team in history to win each of the four flights in the tournament, matching Metamora’s accomplishments in 2003, 2010, and 2014.  The Redbird tennis team finished second, its thirteenth consecutive top two finish in the historically excellent league.

Junior Ethan Greenfield handled the number one singles duties for the Redbirds, finishing third.  His semi-final loss to Joe Zern of Morton was long and close, with the Potter doubles star winning 7-5, 7-5.  In the third place match, Greenfield responded valiantly, dominating Washington’s top player, Ethan Sabotta, 6-1, 6-0.

Senior Cullen Nevitt recorded a quick opening match win but was then soundly defeated in the semi-finals by Dunlap’s Arian Rahbar.  In the third place match, Nevitt won a very important match against Morton’s Kyle Braker in a third set tie-break to finish the day in style.

The top doubles flight featured the match of the day.  Senior Michael Poppen and sophomore Brian Lelm lined up against Dunlap’s talented doubles team of Aanan Kashyap and Jack Disharoon.  The Eagles won the first set in a tie-break and appeared to be headed for a straight set win, leading 5-3 in the second.  However, Metamora’s pair rallied to win four straight games to capture the set, 7-5, sending the championship to a deciding third set.

In the third set, the play was brilliant.  Each team held serve six times, meaning the match would end with a third set tie-break.  Dunlap captured the tie-break, winning the title 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, and everyone who witnessed the three-hour slugfest was treated to an exceptional level of tennis.

Junior Joey Shallat and senior Brett Manwaring played in the number two doubles position for the Redbirds, winning their first match quickly.  Their match of the day occurred in the semi-finals, as they had to battle Morton’s all-state doubles player, Barik Olden, and his partner.  After dropping the opening set, the Redbird duo fought from behind, ultimately posting a very important 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win that gave Metamora some breathing room in front of the Potters in the team standings.  In the finals, Dunlap’s Venil Tummarakota and Nolan Teubel defeated the Redbirds in a well-played match, 6-4, 6-1.

Class 1A Pitchford Invite Hosted by Metamora

Metamora hosted the second annual Tom Pitchford Invitational for some of the state’s Class 1A schools.

Twelve schools descended on Metamora, Washington, and Morton for this year’s event.  The competition was outstanding, as many of the state’s top teams and players bumped into each other during the event.  Weather did not fully cooperate, as the second day of the event took place indoors at the Bloomington Tennis Center.

In the team standings, Normal U-High was the champion for the second consecutive year, with Dunlap, Chicago Northside, and Metamora rounding out the top four.  Those teams would ultimately finish 1st (U-High), 2nd (Northside), 4th (Dunlap), and 7th (Metamora) at the state meet a few weeks later.

Michael Poppen had the difficult task of playing #1 singles for the Redbirds, and he posted a 1-3 record, losing three matches against kids that would be named all-state after the state tournament.  Cullen Nevitt fared a little better at number 2 singles, winning his first two matches before losing to tough players from Dunlap and U-High.

Ethan Greenfield and Brian Lelm finished 1-3 in the top doubles flight.  They had incredibly tight matches with Dunlap and Morton on the second day of the event but could not find the winner’s circle in either match.  Joey Shallat and Brett Manwaring opened with two straight wins but found the sledding much more difficult on day two, dropping contests with Dunlap and U-High.

It was a spectacular event.  Congrats to all!

Redbirds Win Ottawa Invite for Fourth Straight Year

Ottawa – (4/20/19) – The 2019 season rolled on Saturday with the annual trek to Ottawa for the Pirate Invite.  Six teams battled on Ottawa’s eight-court complex, with each dual match featuring two singles and three doubles contests.  The Redbird tennis team played without the services of star junior Ethan Greenfield, who was nursing a sprained ankle suffered during practice, so the depth of the 2019 team was severely challenged.

Metamora opened the day facing traditional power Rockford Boylan.  The Titans have fallen on harder times in recent years, and the Redbirds were able to overwhelm their opponents quickly.  Michael Poppen and Cullen Nevitt won their singles matches without dropping a game.  The doubles duos of Joey Shallat / Brian Lelm, Ryan Lowe / Brett Manwaring, and Jeremiah Poppen / Harry Hawbaker took care of business as well, winning 36 of 43 games to propel Metamora to the 5-0 win.

Rock Island Alleman was next up for Metamora, and the Redbirds kept right on rolling.  The Pioneers featured two very talented singles players, so Metamora played Michael Poppen and Brian Lelm at those two positions.  Lelm rolled to a quick win, but Poppen was unable to capitalize on his first set 6-0 thumping of his opponent, ultimately losing in a third set super tie-breaker.  In doubles, three different combinations than had played in the first round looked sharp, winning 36 of 38 games to sweep the three matches.  The 4-1 victory propelled Metamora to the championship match against Lake Park.

The Lancers were no match for Michael Poppen and Cullen Nevitt on the singles courts, as the Redbird pair each strolled to a quick win.  In doubles, Lake Park had a talented duo playing in the number one position, and Joey Shallat and Brett Manwaring came up just short, losing 6-3, 7-5.  Brian Lelm and Harry Hawbaker won quickly at number two doubles, and Jeremiah Poppen and Ryan Lowe rebounded from an opening set loss to win in a tie-breaker, giving the Redbirds a 4-1 team win and the tournament title.

Congrats to all on a successful day in Ottawa!

Metamora Champs of Red & White Invite

Metamora – (3/23/19) – Metamora welcomed seven other tennis teams to its tennis complex for the first big outdoor meet of the year Saturday, and the Redbirds came ready to play, winning the title handily.  In the team competition, Metamora racked up 66 points, while Morton’s 36 points were the second highest on the day.  Quincy (35), Teutopolis (30), Notre Dame (24), Glenwood (22), Carbondale (16), and Rockford Guilford (5) rounded out the field.

The Redbirds were led by the successes of their three doubles teams, each of which won the title of their respective flight.  The number 1 duo of Ethan Greenfield (jr) and Brian Lelm (so) won a competitive semi-final match over Teutopolis before playing the match of the day against Quincy’s top team.  Metamora ultimately prevailed 10-8 in a third set super tie-breaker to win the championship.

Metamora’s number 2 doubles team of Joey Shallat (jr) and Brett Manwaring (sr) played three close sets on the day including two in the finals against Teutopolis.  Shallat and Manwaring were at their best near the end of those close sets, winning the final 7-5, 6-4.

At number 3 doubles, Ryan Lowe (so) and Jeremiah Poppen (sr) rolled through their competition, only having one set closer than 6-2.  The duo defeated Morton in the title match, 7-5, 6-1.

Michael Poppen (sr) and Cullen Nevitt (sr) played in the singles draws for Metamora.  Poppen won his first round match but dropped the next two to finish 4th at number 1 singles.  His third place match was a high quality one against Notre Dame’s Josh Montefolka but ended in a 10-7 super tie-breaker loss.

Nevitt battled to the finals and lost a competitive match against Notre Dame’s Terry Xie, 6-0, 7-5.

Congrats to the Redbirds on a tournament title!

Redbirds Win Season Opening Quad

Peoria – (3/16/19) – The 2019 edition of Redbird tennis opened the season at The Clubs at River City with the traditional quad meet with Ottawa, Springfield, and Pontiac.  Junior Cullen Nevitt and freshman Nate Geurink manned the singles positions for the Redbirds all day, while the doubles duos included Ethan Greenfield / Brian Lelm (jr / so), Joey Shallat / Brett Manwaring (jr / sr), and Ryan Lowe / Harry Hawbaker (so / so).  The Redbirds played without Michael and Jeremiah Poppen throughout the day, but the depth of the Metamora squad was still too much for the opponents.

On the doubles side, Metamora’s tandems were too strong for the early season competition, dropping only 15 games in 18 sets on the day and never having a set closer than 6-3.  In singles, Metamora dominated Ottawa and Pontiac and dropped its only two matches of the day to Springfield.

Overall, the Redbirds won the quad with wins over Ottawa (5-0), Springfield (3-2), and Pontiac (5-0).  This early season indoor event always serves as a great tune-up for the rest of the year.  Congrats to the Metamora players on a great start and good luck to the rest of the schools throughout 2019!