The season(s) are just about wrapped up, which means it's almost time for Jim Mora's favorite time of year ... playoffs!
That's right, the NEO 18+, 40+, and 55+ leagues have all wrapped up (sort of) and which means that the USTA playoffs are right around the corner. But before we get to THAT corner, let's see who won what during the regular season!
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18+ Season Review
Just like last season, this season saw some ups and some downs, some repeats and some newbies make their way to 18+ success!
With four flights, six teams would make the playoffs, the four flight winners and the next two best records. In Flight 1, Captain Dylan led CSC to the Flight Title thanks to week 10 3-2 win over CVAC to keep the Mayfield King's (of which there are several, several Kings!) at bay, but thanks to Captain John's MVRC winning the tie-breaker over Wembley, the King's would head back to the 3.0 playoffs for the second time in four seasons!
In Flight 2, Paramount Westlake repeated their 2023 playoff run with a back-to-back repeat, this time winning their flight with the best 18+ team record in all of NEO - an undefeated 8-0! Also returning the playoffs would be Team Force, this time lead by Captain David as former Captain Jeremy took a well-deserved year off from the rough-and-tumble captaining of the 18+ leagues, whose team finished runner-up with only two losses ... both to eventual Flight Champions Paramount Westlake!
Flight 3 saw another club repeat a playoff run as LaTuchie garnered the second-best record in NEO at 7-1 as Captain Eric once again led his club to a strong start, going 4-0, and a strong finish, going 3-0, to look like one of the top playoff teams around! Hats off to NCRC's Captain William who, after a rough 1-2 start, got his guys back in the game thanks to a big win over eventual Flight Champions LaTuchie, and even though they didn't make the playoffs this year, look for them to have a strong season next year!
Flight 4 saw another close one between NCRC and a competitor but it was Captain Tony's Western Reserve that was able to weather the storm to finish as Flight Champions, overcoming a late 0-2 stretch with a huge team victory over the legendary Towpath club!
Thus, the playoffs are set with the four flight winners and the next two best records facing off! And while the District Championships won't be held until early August, fans of 3.0 tennis (and we know you're one of them!) can look forward to these prime-time matchups the week of July 21st:
Paramount Westlake vs MVRC
CSC vs Western Reserve
LaTuchie vs Force
In three intriguing matchups, look for the home teams to have the advantage as home-cooking (and gas mileage) play a role! Top seed Paramount Westlake has veteran leadership in John, Ryan, and John while CSC can say the same, especially thanks to long-time vets Lloyd and Jack. LaTuchie, the young guns of NEO, have a solid mix of hard-hitters in Max and Eric while the steady veteran leadership of Alan and Reddy are sure to steer Stow's favorite club in the right 3.0 direction! That being said, the King's of MVRC have their twinness on their side while Force is looking to repeat their District run from last year, so don't count any of these clubs out just yet!
Good luck to all the participating clubs as they vie for a spot at the District Championships!
NOTE! While we here at D.F.O. focus on NEO tennis, it would behoove us to ignore the other illustrious parts of the state of O-H-I-O!
Down south, in Ohio Valley (OVTA), their league season wrapped up months ago, and congratulations to Dayton's Captain Tim for leading his team back to the District Championships as they look to repeat a trip to State!
Northwest Ohio (NWO) is still battling it out as of this writing, with classic 3.0 powerhouses like Twos, SVHS, and Fallen Timbers hoping to finish in the top three to qualify for their District championships!
All these District matches will take place the first weekend in August and once again, good 3.0 luck to you all!
40+ Season Reviews
The veteran leaders that make up the 40+ league did just that - led their clubs to some fantastic finishes as two clubs repeated their status as Flight champions from last season!
In Flight 1, it was nailbiter until the end, as Captain John's Paramount Westlake and Captain Robert's North Ridge battled it out until the final week! As both earned 4-1 team victories on the final matchday to end their team seasons 7-1, it was down to tiebreakers to determine the Flight champion, and thanks to one more individual win, Captain John's club took their second straight 40+ 3.0 title in as many years!
Flight 2 saw legendary Captain Frank lead his legendary Towpath to another banner as his legendary crew focused for the big matches of the season to hold on and take the Flight despite spirited attempts from Paramount Medina and LaTuchie!
In Flight 3, it was another repeat, as MVRC repeated their Flight Title from last year, a year that saw the 40+ Mayfield team go all the way to Nationals, with a near-perfect 9-1 record to make another trip back to the District Championships!
As such, Captain Frank's Towpath will travel to Captain Robert's North Ridge the week of July 22nd to see which club will join Paramount Westlake and MVRC in the District championships! Traditionally the home team usually takes home the win in this match ups, but with two legendary Captains and two great clubs, who knows what's what?!
In OVTA, it was a two-team race between KTC and Quail Run ... still yet to be decided!
Meanwhile, Captain Jason of BGSU led his 40+ NWO team to Flight victory in style, clinching the season in mid-June!
55+ Season Reviews
Captain Robert, a D.F.O. Hall of 3.0 Famer and one of the best captains around, with well over 60+ Captain wins to his 3.0 Captaining resume, avenged his beloved North Ridge's runner-up finish last year by running away with the Flight Title this year, clinching the title in late June thanks to a 2-1 victory over rival Towpath, in which veterans Michael, Robert, and Ben, with over 190+ wins between them (!), won not just the day ... but the league!
New Stats & Records!
After an amazing season it's no surprise there were some new amazing records set! So congratulations to the following for making your 3.0 mark!
18+ NEO Flight 2
Roderick (Paramount Medina) ... going 3-10 on the season, he's tied with the great Clem Kissling, a D.F.O. Hall of 3.0 Famer, by the way (!), with most career vice-wins at 125 and is now 3rd all-3.0-time with 125+ matches played!
William Fox (Towpath), Denny Huff (PM) ... both entered the 80+ win mark as Denny went 10-7 while William notched 14+ wins on the season!
Ron Novak (Towpath) ... with his 2-8 record on the year, this long-time 3.0er now stands at 99 career victories!
Frank Licari (Towpath) ... with nine wins on the court this year, he's set several 3.0 records, including most league wins (104), 4th overall in total career wins (104), top five in matches played (170+), and with his 19-9 Captain record, he became only the second Captain ever - behind Hall of 3.0 Famer James "Jim" Jacobs (!) to notch 100+ career Captain wins! Not only that, but he's the first and only 3.0er ever to have 100 wins on the court and as a Captain!
18+ NEO Flight 4
John Keller (PW), Adnan Kazazic (Medical Mutual) ... both achieved 70+ career wins!
18+ NWO
Jim Montgomery (SVHS) ... already a Hall of 3.0 Famer, this famous slicer-and-dicer of the 3.0 courts added to his illustrious legacy by eclipsing 100+ career 3.0 wins!
James "Jim" Jacobs (SVHS) ... with another double-digit win season as a Captain, he extended his already incredible Captain win mark to 130+ wins. No wonder he's a Hall of 3.0 Famer as well!
40+ NEO Flight 1
Jeremy Benjamin (Force) ... even though it was a rebuilding year for the Captain with the most playoff wins in 3.0 history (24), he chalked up enough Captain wins to pass 70+, moving him to 4th all-3.0-time!
Robert Corts (North Ridge) ... eclipsed 70+ Captain wins and 120+ career wins, showing he's truly the renaissance man of the 3.0 courts!
Congrats to all and good luck going forward, whether that's in the playoffs, the off-season, or the upcoming D.F.O. Awards season later this fall! WOW!
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