THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505210183
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
Maury overcame the loss of its top player to knock off Lafayette, 5-4, and claim its third consecutive Eastern Region tennis title Saturday at First Colonial High.
The victory was Maury's 43rd in a row against regional opponents and capped an improbable run for a team that graduated five of its top six players from a year ago.
``I had no idea at the beginning of the year we'd do anything like this,'' Maury coach John Brinkman said.
The Commodores' title hopes looked even bleaker early in Saturday's final when No. 1 singles player Ben Perry injured his right ankle - the same ankle he broke last season - and had to withdraw three games into his match against Lafayette's Jay Nelson. Perry's injury also forced Maury to forfeit No. 1 doubles.
``If I'm playing singles, we win this before the doubles even starts,'' Perry said.
Without Perry, the Commodores still had enough. Singles victories by No. 2 Rob Brown, No. 5 Gary Johnson and No. 6 Jay Lara gave Maury a 3-2 lead. Then Ross Hoffman, one of the heroes of Maury's 5-4 semifinal victory over Tallwood, outdueled Kelsey Reddick in three tense sets to put the Commodores within a point of the championship.
Johnson and Lara made it official with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Reddick and Kevin Wells at third doubles.
Perry's injury didn't appear serious, and the Eastern District singles champion insisted he would be ready for the Eastern Region singles and doubles tournaments, which begin Monday at Owl Creek Municipal Tennis Center. by CNB