The architect may be gone, but the foundation remains strong for the Collingwood tennis team.
The Cavaliers claimed their 10th straight AA provincial tennis title last week, competing in the championships for the first time since longtime coach Al Rose retired. With Andy Wong now taking over head coaching duties the Cavaliers kept the dynasty alive, although it was by the slimmest of margins.
Collingwood’s final against St. Michaels University School came down to the last match, with the Cavaliers claiming a 6-5 win after three-and-a-half hours of intense tennis to take the title and keep the streak alive. It was drama-filled tennis, said Wong, adding that there were two more Vancouver Island teams on site at Queen Elizabeth Park so the Cavaliers were facing a very pro-SMUS crowd.
“In terms of all the fans that I talked to, they said it was one of the best sporting events that they’ve attended for high school sports,” said Wong, who spent three years as an assistant coach before taking over head duties. “This is probably the longest match that I’ve been a part of over all these years.”
The slugfest started early with Isaac Davies and Aleem Karmali coming back to win after going down 3-5 in the opening doubles match. The pair won their second doubles match as well, with Davies, the team captain, finishing provincials with a perfect 12-0 match record. The Grade 12 student has been on the senior tennis team since Grade 8.
“He’ll do whatever we need for the team,” said Wong. “He’s one of the few people who can graduate from high school saying he won five provincial championships.”
The battle came down to the final contest, with Collingwood’s Conor Robertson and Neeki Alavi competing in mixed doubles. The duo sealed the championship with a 6-3 victory, each of them ending provincials with 11-1 records. Robertson, who is in Grade 9, also came through with a big singles win in the final.
“Conor just loved the energy,” Wong said. “You could see him starting to smile even when everyone was cheering against Collingwood. He just was so calm and composed and took care of business. It was pretty special.”
Maya Negris and Amy Young won both of their doubles matches to help get the Cavaliers to the magic number of six in the 11-match final.
Wong said he was feeling the pressure to keep the team’s streak alive.
“Not only are you coming in to try to win a championship, but the previous coach has won nine times in a row,” he said with a laugh. “I couldn’t think of a bigger pressure situation to walk in to.”
Rose may have retired following last season but his presence was still felt, said Wong.
“Al did a great job of prepping us. He did step back this year but he was there to cheer us on and give us a lot of support,” he said. “I call him up to pick his brain on different strategies. He’s the best resource to have. I was very lucky to get to work with him, and we’re hoping to carry on his legacy.”
Part of Collingwood’s secret to success is that the players are all dedicated to the team, said Wong.
“We’ve done a good job of making sure that our players are excited to be a part of the family that Al has developed,” he said. “We weren’t a team that just showed up to our matches. We had some very intense practices and the team really bonded. They’re so excited to be a part of carrying on the legacy.”
