The second round of the state 2A boys dual team tennis state playoffs was little more than a Tuesday afternoon stroll in City Park for Salisbury.
The Hornets (13-4) rocketed past visiting Brevard (10-2) like a Randy Johnson fastball, chewing up the champions of the Western Athletic Conference in plenty of time for supper.
“It was our best match of the year,” said Salisbury coach Chris Myers, after his team’s 5-1 triumph. “It was the most consistent we’ve been, the most patient we’ve been.”
This match was considerably less harrowing than last week’s first-round safari to Avery County, that western hideaway that once sent 7-foot-4 Tommy Burleson to N.C. State. The Hornets easily beat Avery 5-1, but getting there wasn’t just a job, it was an adventure. An adventure that required 3 hours, 15 minutes.
“(Athletics director) Raymond Daugherty drew me this map,” explained Myers. “I’ve got a small car and I’m not too comfortable driving that bus. Anyway, I figured if I tried to follow Raymond’s directions, we’d end up in West Virginia — maybe Pennsylvania.”
Myers says the only destination he’s 100 percent certain of finding in the state of North Carolina is Charlotte, so he took his team the long way around the high country. The Hornets traveled the scenic route up Highway 321, through Boone. Somehow, the Hornets arrived in one piece. Then they took care of their on-court business and started back down the mountain.
“That’s the first time I’ve had that particular seed, but we ended up having a good time,” said Myers. “We played at Lees-McRae College (in Banner Elk). It was deserted and beautiful. Then we stopped and ate and came back on 421 (Daugherty’s suggested path) after I’d gotten myself familiar with the landmarks.”
Myers was a virtual Jeff Gordon on that return trip, hauling the Hornets home in a respectable 2 hours, 45 minutes.
The odyssey to Avery and yesterday’s successful homestand earned the Hornets a short trip down I-85 next Monday to face Central Carolina Conference arch-rival Lexington in the quarterfinals. The Yellow Jackets are responsible for half of Salisbury’s losses — both times by 6-3 scores.
“I won’t be totally shocked if we beat Lexington,” said Myers. “We can do it. We’ve had some tight matches with them.”
But Myers adds that as near as he can figure, the Hornets haven’t beaten the Yellow Jackets since 1995. “Maybe,” he said hopefully, “they’ll be overconfident this time.”
Myers is in his third year as the Hornets’ head guy. His first team lost in the first round of the playoffs. His second team reached the second round. His current squad, which has just two seniors in the top six, has continued the program’s upward mobility.
There’s good balance. All six singles players boast double-figure win totals. Alex Hattaway at No. 5 is a sparkling 16-1, while No. 6 Britt Butler is 14-2. Those two even win their matches against Lexington.
“They’ve been rock-solid,” said Myers.
Salisbury’s quiet No. 1 player, Helmut Shomaker (13-6), lost at Avery, but bounced back for an impressive win yesterday. He had to go to a tiebreaker to secure the first set, then dominated the second, 6-1. Hattaway and Butler rolled, as usual, and No. 2 Aaron Post (15-4) cruised thanks to his feathery touch at the net.
But Adam Martin lost to Jeff Carbuhn at No. 3. That made it 4-1, with only No. 4 Kenny Cibik’s marathon match with Edwin Arnaudin yet to be decided. Cibik lost the first set, but won the second to force a tiebreaker.
“There’s a lot of pressure on you when you’re the only one left out on the court,” said Cibik, who sports a Vanilla-ice haircut, drives a vintage red “Z” and owns a backhand he describes as “unbelievable.”
Somehow, Cibik survived his ordeal, producing a 7-4 decision that clinched the verdict for the Hornets and started the visiting Blue Devils on the long road for home. The hard-earned “W” gave Cibik (10-4) some down time to trade boasts and trash talk with his buddy, Post.
“At the end of the season, I figured out what was wrong with my game — I needed more emotion,” declared an animated Cibik.
“The court is my canvas and the racket is my paintbrush,” responded Post, a budding artist who likes to be referred to as “Lightning Feet.”
“Even with these two around, It’s been a good year,” interrupts Myers, with a huge sigh.
Best of all, the next road trip is a short one. There’s a chance of losing, but no chance at all of getting lost.
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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