Racquet Cats eye postseason run

The final match of Aledo’s varsity tennis fall schedule ended the same way almost every match for the Racquet Cats has this season - in a dominant 15-4 victory over Wichita Falls Rider.

Aledo’s victory on Tuesday, Oct. 3 cemented their No. 1 seed heading into bidistrict next week. Official matchups will not be released until early next week, but the District 5-5A champion Racquet Cats will meet the No. 4 team out of the Fort Worth District 6-5A. 

“Our kids have responded all year,” said head coach Joe McCoy. “They’re working hard. They’re playing really well. I think we’re playing some of our best tennis at the right time.”

The four matches Rider won on Tuesday was the closest any team on the district schedule has come to getting the best of Aledo all season. Prior to Tuesday’s matchup against the Raiders, the Racquet Cats had lost just a single match all season, including their rigorous pre-district schedule - and none in league play.

“Overall, our UTR – which is our tennis rating – has gone up,” McCoy stated. “We’ve been competitive. We had a tough non-district schedule on purpose, because I wanted them to play tough matches to be prepared for this time of the year. They responded well early in the season. They responded to being pushed. They’re doing well and the season shows that.”

While Aledo has dominated on the court this season, it hasn’t been easy. In fact, quite the opposite. The old saying that “Character is formed in adversity,” goes hand-in-hand with character being revealed in adversity. In that respect, the Racquet Cats have faced plenty of adversity while displaying ample character through it all.

“It goes back to the culture,” McCoy emphasized. “It goes back to the kids. It goes back to the expectations. Our parents are great. A lot of these kids can’t get up here without parents bringing them up here. When we couldn’t practice in the afternoons when it was so hot, they didn’t bat an eye when we went to 5 or 5:30 a.m. practices.

“I think if you come out of Aledo, especially as an athlete, you are better prepared and well prepared for the next chapter in life. Our kids learn how to become disciplined. They learn how to be on time. They learn how to work with a teammate. They learn how to work hard. They learn everything that goes along with that work ethic that Aledo instills in every program,” he added.

With the fall season behind them, the Racquet Cats now wait to find out who they’ll face in the opening round of the postseason. Craig and Scott Mason, Ben Farmer, Will Beyer, Jacob Heckathorn, Francois Britz, and Tom Ruminsky make up the boys division for Aledo. Meanwhile, Breanna Orr, Kenley Germany, Elli Kate Bussmeir, Lila Satterfield, Gracie Heydman, Sydney Byrd, Patrice Loftin, Natalie Nawrocki, and Eleanor Jack will represent the Racquet Cats for the girls as they prepare to make their postseason run.

When asked how his team stays motivated and humble heading into the postseason following a lengthy season filled with dominating performances, McCoy said, “Tennis is unlike most other sports in that, it doesn’t have a start and stop date. Even if our season ended today, we could still practice tomorrow. It becomes a grind. Keeping your team motivated is a challenge for every coach. We just keep our head down and keep grinding.”

Sports are not just supposed to be about wins and losses. Athletics is supposed to instill attributes that serve the athlete well throughout their life long after their days as a competitive athlete are done. While winning on the court during the season and postseason is a goal, McCoy hopes the lessons his athletes learn in their time together transcend their time on the court.

“You try to get them to be the best they can be in everything that they do, whether it’s tennis or whatever. The attitude carries over to hopefully their life - being able to overcome adversity. We talk about jumping over hurdles and how you get up after you fall down,” he said.