THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 11, 1995 TAG: 9505110583
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
Meet the Duquettes, three of the most talented and competitive young players around - especially when they see one another across the net.
``When we go out and play among ourselves, sometimes we have to leave early before they really get into it,'' said the Duquettes' mother, Susan. ``And it's not just tennis, either. ``Basketball, ping-pong . . . I don't care if it's how many cookies you can eat. These boys are just very competitive.''
Fortunately for Norfolk Academy coach Mike Horstman, he has them all on the same side. Bryan, a junior, is the Bulldogs' No. 1 player. Michael, an eighth-grader who has blossomed into one of the nation's best
14-and-under players seemingly overnight, holds down the No. 4 slot. Freshman Chris rounds out the starting lineup at No. 6.
Together, they've helped Norfolk Academy become easily the best team in the area and one of the finest, public or private school, in the state.
The Bulldogs put the wraps on an undefeated season Tuesday with an 8-1 victory over Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. N-SA's one point - Craig Rice defeated Bryan Duquette at No. 1 singles - was the only match the Bulldogs lost in TCIS competition all year.
``They've been exceptionally supportive of each other,'' Horstman said. ``I thought it might be a problem at the beginning of the year. Take Mike - he shows absolutely no emotion on the court, unless he's playing his older brothers. But it hasn't been a problem at all.''
Each brother comes equipped with distinct Duquette playing characteristics: excellent hands, timing and hand-eye coordination. Part of that could be genetic - father Tom was an All-American lacrosse player in college and Susan is a competitive distance runner.
But perhaps more importantly, the Duquettes aren't just tennis players. They're athletes who happen to play tennis. Each excels at a variety of sports, including basketball and soccer, and buck the trend of young tennis phenoms who practice their strokes to the exclusion of everything else.
``No way I'd want to do that,'' said Bryan, who played for Norfolk Academy's basketball team last winter, didn't touch a racket from Thanksgiving to March and still earned the tennis team's No. 1 singles slot.
During a national zonal competition last year, Michael, the starting point guard on the school's junior-varsity team, was amazed at what he found when he tried to play basketball with some of the other tennis hotshots.
``It was so weird,'' he said. ``They can't play.''
Chris can see the time when he won't play much competitive tennis.
``I do not want to play in college,'' he said. ``High school tennis is very important to me, but I don't think I want to go beyond that.''
Chris, 15, won a state 14s doubles title with Rice two years ago, but otherwise hasn't had the tournament success of his two brothers.
Bryan, 16, burst into local prominence a few years ago when he won a string of Futures 14 titles. He has since maintained a top-15 regional ranking.
Michael, 13, made national news in March when, unseeded, he whipped two players ranked in the top 10 in the country in the ``Spring Flight'' tournament in South Carolina in reaching the final. He probably will end the year ranked top 10 nationally himself.
Having a younger and older brother outperform him on the court could be tough on Chris. But the middle Duquette said that in that respect, he's no Jan Brady.
``I've actually kind of basked in the success of my brothers,'' he said. ``When we go to tournaments, you can hear how much respect everyone has for them. I think it's really cool.''
The feeling apparently is mutual. For when a match really matters to Chris, the brothers can even drop their legendary competitiveness to help him through.
Two years ago, Michael and Chris were to make a rare appearance against each other in a local tournament at Owl Creek Municipal Tennis Center. For Michael, the match meant little. But for Chris, a loss would deny him a much-desired berth in the Challenger series playoffs in Richmond.
A buzz spread through the tennis complex - ``Chris and Michael are going to play each other!'' - and within minutes, Cox's Hondo Fleischer, Western Branch's Frankie Graves, Kellam's Ian and Nathan Bolling and many other of the area's top players had latched onto the fence outside the court, no doubt to stake out prime viewing angles for the inevitable blowup.
This time, however, there was no confrontation, just sublime tennis. Chris played the match of his life, and Michael uncharacteristically gave his brother the benefit of the doubt on a few key line calls. In the end, Chris surprised the onlookers and even himself by pulling out a narrow victory.
A dejected Michael left the court with a towel covering his head, then plopped down on a seat next to his mother.
``Mom, Chris really wanted to win that match, didn't he?'' Michael said.
Susan Duquette smiles in remembering: ``Michael didn't tank or anything. He made Chris earn it. But he knew how important that match was to his brother.''
Oh, by the way, when Chris and Michael met in a tournament the following week, Michael blew his brother off the court.
``That other one didn't count,'' Michael said with a grin. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by Paul Aiken
The Duquette brothers have teamed to make Norfolk Academy a tennis
power. They are Chris, 15, standing; Bryan,16, kneeling; and Mike,
13, sitting.
by CNB