Our school has many strong sports teams, but one that stands out is the girls tennis team. Coached by the outstanding Mr. Jacobson, they are one of the best teams in the city. Not to mention, their hard work and dedication are unmatched. Now, as fall athletics comes to a close, let’s reflect on their season.
Since girls tennis is a fall sport, they don’t get as much school time to practice and prepare for their season as other sports. Because of this, they participated in a tennis tournament in Fresno for the first time! However, it came with one drawback: the sun’s blazing rays. Playing their matches at peak heat time, they endured 100-degree weather. Finishing in second, this proved to be a great learning and bonding experience.
In terms of their regular season, their performance was amazing. Payton, a player on the team, likes to say, “Call us brooms ‘cause we SWEPT!” According to MaxPreps, they won the majority of their league games 7-0!
Thanks to this, they advanced to the Division One playoffs, seeded as #2.
In the first game against GALA (Girls Academic Leadership Academy), they won 17-12, moving them up to the semi-finals. There, they played against Chatsworth High School, once again smashing the competition with a score of 18.5-11.
On November 2nd, they played in the CIF Los Angeles city section championship in Balboa Park. Being there, I think I can speak for the entire audience by saying this was one of the best tennis games I’ve seen! Both teams, especially Eagle Rock, fought for each point, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. It ultimately came down to one match that put North Hollywood at an advantage. Having only been beaten by 1.5 points, Eagle Rock’s girls tennis team placed second, now being the second-best team in the city!
Captain’s Spotlight
The girls tennis team is fortunate to have three amazing captains (from left to right): Julia Fogel, Mia Walker, and Ella McShera. Now entering their senior year, all three of them joined the team as sophomores, with Ella and Julia becoming captains as juniors and Mia as a senior. They all feel that, on the team, they have found a sense of community and togetherness unrivaled by anything else, describing the team as their family. With their upcoming graduation, they agree that they will mostly miss the people and the bonds they’ve created on the team. Within Eagle Rock tennis there is a sense of unconditional support and genuine love that really drives them to keep playing, no matter how stressful the sport can be. (Even if it may not seem like it, Tennis is very demanding…physically and emotionally.) Julia put it really nicely: “Teammates by chance, friends by choice.”
Mia, Ella, and Julia acknowledge that this season in particular was very special, full of many firsts. For one, it was their first time at the Fresno tournament (which was a true bonding experience), and it was their first time making it all the way to the CIF finals! They all agree that their motivation was higher than ever and that this was key in making it as far as they did in the competition. They also feel that their Coach, Mr. Jacobson, has been extremely supportive and a guiding figure throughout high school, and for that, they will miss him.
Ella shared that one of her favorite memories was racing from the equipment shed back to the tennis courts (which feature a motivational sign that says “Nobody cares, work harder”) with her fellow teammates once practice was over. Mia also said that she enjoyed being able to stay after practice and play with whoever else stayed; there was no pressure or emphasis on technique, and they could just play tennis and have fun. Julia shared that one of her favorite memories was playing with her doubles partner, Angela. Also, if you ever hear a super loud “1-2-3” during period 8, it’s probably Julia counting out jumping jacks as the tennis team warms up.
While tennis has taken precedence for them, the three have been able to maintain certain passions. Ella loves photography and cooking, Julia is a part of our school’s band, and Mia is the president of Model UN. The three share a favorite color of green, and, speaking of colors, I asked them the controversial question of what color they felt each subject was. Mia felt that, in a way, every subject was red. Julia thinks math is red, English is blue, and science is green. Ella, Mia, and Julia brought out that tennis felt like all the colors stirred into a big angry pot, but in the best way. In terms of their future, they agree that they are college-bound, but Ella said she would love to take a gap year to travel.
We couldn’t be prouder of the girls tennis team. This season was one for the books, and they’ve definitely made our school proud. We look forward to seeing our girls tennis team in action once again soon. Go Eagles!
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