The Hickman tennis team started its day a little different than usual yesterday at Cosmo Park. Unhappy with the way his team was handling its warmups, Coach Andy Materer ordered his players to line up and run sprints up and down the court.

"We were a little sluggish in the warmup, and actually the sprints helped," Kewpies senior Brandon Page said. "He told us to run it, we did it and it just gets your heart running and ready to play."

The Kewpies responded by beating Hannibal 6-3 in their final match before the Class 2 District 5 Tournament on Saturday at Bethel Park.

"We want to improve our intensity, and we want to finish the year strong," Materer said. "In the beginning of the year, we are where we are. At the end of the year, we need to take a little more responsibility and we have a little more control over how we play because we have had three months of practice and matches. We have played a tough schedule, so I am expecting these guys to really do well" in the district tournament.

Page set the tone early for the Kewpies (5-8) by beating Andrew Oullette 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.

"The conditions were kind of windy," Page said, "but I just kept the ball in and won it quick."

With only two returning starters from last year, Materer looks to Page to provide leadership for the rest of the Hickman team.

"He shows by example," Materer said. "He is not a vocal leader, but he shows by example how to work hard in practice and how to work hard on the court."

Sang Chung, Alex Turner, Ben Levin and Kevin Guevara added singles victories to give Hickman a 5-1 lead.

With the match already clinched, the Kewpies struggled at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Guevara and John Prost lost 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2 and Levin and Jay Chenault fell 6-2, 7-6, (7-5) at No. 3.

The Kewpies’ lone bright spot in doubles play was the No. 1 team of Chung and Turner. The duo beat Hannibal’s Ethan Mobley and Chris Hassien 6-1, 6-3.

"This was their best match of the year," Materer said. "I think they can surprise some people on Saturday. They looked like that today. They looked like a No. 1 doubles team that can contend and surprise some people at districts."

With the play of Chung and Turner in doubles to go along with Page in singles, Materer is optimistic about the Kewpies’ chances in the district tournament.

"We are probably the fourth best team in terms of results this year," he said, "but I think we can finish second or third. I am trying to convince the guys that with the hard schedule we played and the hard work we put in, we can finish second or third at districts."

After the Kewpies’ impressive performance yesterday, Materer thinks prematch sprints might be the answer.

"If we need to do it on Saturday for districts, we will do it," he said. "It seemed to work today, so we may have found something there."

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