By Kenton Brooks
Phoenix Staff Writer
Fri, May 16 2008
—
Rusty Bradley would like to see a certain sports drought at Muskogee High School come to an end this weekend.
As the Roughers’ boys tennis coach, he leads his squad in the state tournament Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma City. All of his players — the two singles and both doubles teams — have qualified for the event for the first time in three years.
And they all have a legitimate shot at returning to Muskogee with a state championship. MHS has not had an individual boys state champion since 1976 and the last player to do it was Bradley himself at No. 1 singles.
“Nothing would please me more to have somebody else get it, especially with me being the coach,” Bradley said about his squad. “It’s what you want for all of them to get there.”
Bradley, however, isn’t putting any pressure on his players to match his feat.
“I want them to at least participate and they can be there and root for each other,” he said. “The experience of qualifying for state is something in itself.”
Micah Lemoine leads the Muskogee contingent at No. 1 singles. The senior brings a 19-3 record into the tournament.
Junior Brandon Finerty (26-6) is at No. 2 singles for the Roughers.
In doubles, senior Harrison Gaston and freshman Aaron Echols team up at No. 1 with a 6-9 record, while sophomores Russ Bradley, Rusty’s son, and Cole Fite bring their 16-13 record at No. 2.
Play begins in Class 5A singles at 9:30 a.m. and doubles starts at 11 a.m. at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center.
Bradley particularly likes the chances of Lemoine and Finerty winning gold.
“I’m expecting them to place if they don’t win,” Bradley said. “Both have a golden opportunity. I’m judging that on the competition and somewhat against the competition we faced all season.”
The seeding meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Putnam City High School. Bradley thinks both singles players will be seeded high.
“I expect Micah to be a No. 3 seed and Brandon at No. 2,” he said. “Anytime you’re not the No. 1 seed, you have a chance of knocking off someone ahead of you. It’s a blessing sometimes not to be a front runner.”
Finerty, making his third trip to state, is confidence in his chances.
“I think have a pretty good shot,” he said. “I’ve lost twice to (Tulsa Union’s) Harry Warden this season. If I go in with the right mindset, I definitely have a chance to beat him.”
Russ Bradley isn’t nervous either even though it’s the sophomore’s first time to play at state.
“I just haven’t thought about it,” he said. ”It’s pretty good that all of us are playing in the tournament.”
Finerty will be helping out his younger teammates, such as Bradley, at the tournament.
“They’re going to see something they’ve never seen before,” Finerty said. “It’s a different type of thing, but it’s fun. Coach Bradley and the rest of us will have their backs and support them.”
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