The 2010 Ravenwood girls team celebrates its Class AAA state team championship at last year's Spring Fling.

Longtime Raptors' coach's death still hurts
By CAROL STUART
For Brentwood Home Page
If it's at all possible, there's even more talent taking the tennis courts for Brentwood high school teams this spring.

Maxx Lipman

Ravenwood will have most its players back to defend its Class AAA state boys singles (Sean Karl), girls doubles (Lauren Caballero and Madison Stankevich) and girls team titles from the 2010 Spring Fling.

The Brentwood High boys graduated only one player from their championship team and add nationally ranked Maxx Lipman into the mix as one of the state's top sophomores.

And at Brentwood Academy, left-handed junior Geoff Tulloch will play No. 1 singles for the third straight season.

But at RHS it's with a heavy heart that the Raptors enter the tennis season for the first time without Coach A.W. Speake. The coach, who had been at the school since it opened in 2002, collapsed and died at the Ravenwood tennis courts last fall.

"The 2011 tennis season will be a first without the leadership of Coach A.W. Speake," new coach Brad Herrera said. "He was a dear friend, coach and father figure to all whose lives he touched.  He will be thoroughly missed and a part of the Ravenwood family always."

Here's the season outlook for the boys and girls tennis teams at RHS, BHS and BA:

Ravenwood High
Herrera, a long-time tennis pro in the area, previously coached at Centennial High in 2008 and '09 when Ian Chadwell won state and Kaylene Chadwell was a state semifinalist.

Caballero and Stankevich come back for just their junior season after winning doubles and playing top singles and doubles for the team championship.

RHS region champions Nikhil Sharma, Madison Stankevich, Sean Karl, Lauren Caballero and Nishant Biswas are pictured last spring with the late Coach A.W. Speake after advancing to state.

Other top girls players returning include Vivian Hao and Caroline Morelli along with Kayla Anthony, Tinsley Hastings, Jacqueline Curtsinger, and Blakely Riddle. Ashley King and Camden Hastings were lost due to graduation.

On the boys side, in addition to Karl, who won boys singles as a freshman, Nikhil Sharma and Nishant Biswas made state as regional doubles champs and are seniors this season.

Among other returning Raptors are Jared Stehney, Andrew Elmlinger, John Asirvatham, John Kim and Mickey O’Brien. Graduated are Kevin Jaeger, Ben Jenner, and Taylor Wells.

“Players in our program continue to work hard and diligently in the offseason,” Herrera said. "I expect nothing less of what Coach A.W. Speake has brought to the Ravenwood tennis program since Ravenwood opened."

Herrera is expected to reload both rosters with freshmen, saying Woodland Middle's Lynn Brosky continues to prepare student-athletes for the RHS tennis program.

"I expect both our boys and girls tennis teams to be top viable competitors in this year's district, regional, sectional and state venues," Herrera said.

Neither team begins regular-season matches until after spring break. The girls team opens play March 28 at home against Brentwood, and both teams play road matches before the Raptors host the Bruins on March 31 in a boys-only Battle of the Woods.

The Lady Raptors also play in a national high school tournament in Louisville, Ky., April 8-9.

Click here for schedule.

Brentwood High
The Bruins boys tennis team went 13-0 in dual matches last season, capped by capturing the state crown. Only No. 3 singles player Loukas Peterson graduated from the 2010 lineup.

Lipman, one of the top junior tennis players in the state, will immediately take over at No. 1 singles.

Brentwood 2010 boys team and Coach Andy Veal, left, display Class AAA championship trophy.

Other starters back for BHS include Alex Howard, Drake Hernandez, Ryan Satterfield and Evan Borowski. Michael Arguello, Andy Mullenger, Danny Hester, Will Jayne and Tyler Von Tagen also return to the roster.

"We hope to repeat as state champions," said Andy Veal, the Wildwood director and pro who took over as BHS tennis coach last season.

The Lady Bruins went 9-4 in duals matches for 2010 but lose five of their top six singles players in 2011.  Nisha Bhuva is expected to be the top newcomer in the rebuilding season with a young team.

"We will have to see how this young team does," Veal said.

Other Lady Bruins players include Helen Hosse, Emily Batiste, Virginia Theriault, Lauren Levy, Joyce Kang and soccer star Meg Howard.

Both boys and girls teams start the season with home matches with Battle Ground Academy on Wednesday, March 16, followed the next day by district openers at BHS against Centennial. The non-district schedule includes matches at Ensworth April 4 and a boys matchup April 14 with Brentwood Academy.

BHS closes out the regular season at home against Ravenwood -- April 27 for the boys and April 28 for the girls.

Click here for schedule.

Brentwood Academy
Tulloch, playing No. 1 since his freshman season, joins four returning seniors -- Parker McCracken, Sammuel Dobberpuhl, Michael Fister and Nick Smith -- in the Eagles' lineup.

"He's a smart-playing lefty with lots of tournament experience," said BA boys coach Robbie McCammon.

The Eagles boys team made it to the state quarterfinals and ended with an 8-6 duals record. BA is 15-11 in two seasons under McCammon, who has 10 years as a tennis pro and director of the USTA Competitive Training Center for Nashville.

"We have a deep team with many upper classmen but play a very tough schedule with Baylor and MBA," McCammon said about the upcoming season.

The Lady Eagles finished in the top five in the Division II-AA Middle/East region last year behind Ensworth. BA was 4-6 overall in the regular season but 4-2 against region foes and lost to Ensworth only by a point.

Senior Stuart Dale is a strong No. 1 for the Lady Eagles, and Faulkner Emerson is another senior with "focus to win," said BA fifth-year girls coach Kathy Bradford.

"We should be a contender this season to be a top three finisher in our region," Bradford said. "The experience that our juniors and seniors have will be a great benefit for the team."

Elizabeth Gerrald and Britta Ristau also will give Brentwood Academy a tough No. 1 doubles team this year. "Their record together is stellar, and I look forward to them doing amazingly well this season," Bradford said.

Junior Kate Vogel, Christy Graham and Margaret Tulloch will add depth to the team. BA loses No. 3 doubles players 'Daly Cantrell and Libby Lewis from last spring's team which beat Briarcrest before bowing out of the region team tourney to Baylor.

Bradford believes her team will surprise some teams this year with their overall quickness on the courts.

"We have a very strong freshman class of tennis players which is great for future wins for the BA team," she added.

Click here for schedule.