Team Detail
33 for 33: The streak lives | Spartans win another area title - Oconee Enterprise
ATHENS—Athens Academy tennis team head coach coach Jami Cashin let out a big sigh of relief after John Chester’s win on the back courts of Athens-Clarke County Tennis Center on Thursday afternoon.
The streak lives on for another year. The Spartans won their 33rd straight Region/Area title on Thursday afternoon as they defeated Wesleyan 3-0.
Hatton Abernathy won at one singles (6-3, 6-2). Chester won at two singles (6-0, 6-4). The Spartans’ one doubles duo of Ryan Manfredi and Jack Jaegers won (6-2, 6-3).
The Spartans have had continuing the streak on their minds since the day they hit the courts for practice this season.
“Number 33 feels pretty good,” Abernathy said. “We played this team (Wesleyan) a week ago and it was pretty close. We won 3-2 and I won a third-set tiebreak and it was a little close. We all came out today really wanting to give them a beat down from the last match because it was so close. It feels good to carry on that legacy from when I was a freshman when we had our seniors. It feels good to carry on that legacy for them.”
There’s pressure from it. At times, winning the region title has become an entity that carries heavy nervousness.
Winning Thursday pulled the proverbial monkeys off the Spartans’ backs.
“It’s nice to know that 33rd region title is under our belts and now we can just move on to state,” Abernathy said. “We can focus on playing some bigger teams and preparing and practicing... The first step is done now and we’ve just got to keep focusing even more and practicing.”
In the back of their minds the Spartans know the streak will end one day.
“It’s amazing and it does add some pressure,” Cashin said. “They try not to think about it too much because their end goal is state, not this. It would be nice if this streak could keep going, but all streaks end. It’s going to happen at some point.”
Streaks continue by not letting the current year be the year it ends. As it currently stands Cashin and the Spartans are enjoying being in the moment as much as they can.
“I’m just happy it’s not this year,” Cashin said with a laugh.
With the region title captured and the number one seed locked up the Spartans now turn their focus to making a leap forward to winning a state championship.
Last season the Spartans found themselves at the doorstep of the state championship match as they fell in a close match in the Class A Private state semifinals.
All season the Spartans have had reaching the next step in their heads. The pressure of continuing the streak aside, their true focus is now in sight.
“We’re pretty close [to winning a state championship], we haven’t lost a region match and we lost two out of region matches to Pace Academy and Walton High School and those are two big schools,” Abernathy said. “We’ve looked sharp against all the schools that are anywhere close to our level. We came out here and played really well...We’re just going to take it one round by round and focus on playing our game and focus on preparing.”
Athens Academy
Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. For over 50 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.
