THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 13, 1995 TAG: 9504120152
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
IF LOVE MEANS nothing in tennis, maybe auspicious beginnings mean something. Lloyd Bradshaw, Nansemond River's first-year girls tennis coach, hopes so.
``So far, we've beaten Brunswick and Bruton,'' said Bradshaw, on the eve of his match with Poquoson. ``We should be pretty evenly matched with them from what I've heard.''
Bradshaw is certainly glad to have two ``W's'' in the record books. But he knows tough times lie ahead in the 11-match season.
``Franklin and Lakeland are always the teams to beat,'' he said. ``They've both won state titles in recent years.''
Franklin moved up from Group A to the Group AA Bay Rivers district this year.
``My top three are Juliana Ortencio, Heather Todd and Laura Burkhart,'' Bradshaw said.
Chavez Mabry coaches the Nansemond River boys team.
Smithfield High School first-year boys' coach Ken Cussick knew that he had his work cut out for him.
``We have talent on the team, but I could see I needed work on the basics, the fundamentals,'' he said, who took the coaching job only a couple of weeks before the Smithfield season began. The Packers opened with a 7-2 win against Greensville.
Cussick said that his top four of Phillip Northam, Brain Sharver, Chris Baines and Jason Riley are almost interchangeable.
At Southampton High School, boys' coach Larry Frantz said: ``Our program is in the development stage. We've only had tennis for four years.''
He should feel encouraged. The Indians have already equaled their win total for last year. They're 2-0 after going 2-9 in 1994.
``My top three players are David Bryant, Bryan Davis and Greg Nadeau,'' said Frantz. ``It'll be an uphill battle from here.''
He called York, Poquoson, Bruton and Franklin the teams to beat.
Southampton girls coach Diane Seward was unbeaten after 3 matches.
``My top four will determine how we do,'' said Seward.
That contingent consists of Dawn Crowder, Jennifer Blankenship, Kristi Neave and Kelly Wilder.
She called Franklin and Lakeland perennial powerhouses.
Franklin High School moved up a level from single A Tidewater to the AA Bay Rivers District. Coach Mike Carter understands this means tougher competition but seems undaunted.
Franklin has a strong tennis tradition and both teams are loaded with talent.
The boy's team has one senior, number one player Jeff Jackson, and Alex Standahl and Justin Spenjeman at two and three.
They were 2-0 after beating Brunswick and Northampton.
On the girls team, Winston Forbes and Traci Shirley, have won the state doubles title in group A the past three years.
Carter credited assistant coach Mary Lilley for her work with the girls. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Allison Drake practices to help Franklin remain a powerhouse in
girls tennis. Franklin moved up from Group A to the Group AA Bay
Rivers district this year.
by CNB