Northeast Ohio's Rocky River Force sweeps the lowest level of rec league tennis possible to be named ... THE Midwest Champions of the lowest level of rec league tennis possible!
During a hot and humid Indianapolis weekend, the best of the Midwest's best travelled from far and wide to answer one burning question, a question almost as burning hot as the sun itself that seemed only a few feet away from the spacious Indianapolis courts - who was the best of the 3.0 best in the entire - the entire! - Midwest?!
Five teams, previously crowned State Champions, begged their significant others to allow them to travel to the largest outdoor tennis court facility Indianapolis - and possibly the world - had to offer (I mean, this place had an amazing 30 courts) to ply their 3.0 trade, from as far away as Wisconsin to as close as, well, Indianapolis. Indeed, the competition started before the actually matches, for just making the trip itself was a tenuous task. Indeed, while some states were successful in making the entire voyage, some, like the popular tennis arcade game Oregon Trail taught us, were unable to complete said journey. But for those that did, oh what a wild weekend of low level tennis it was!
So who won (if you don't know by now, well ... jeez)? How'd they win? And why'd they win? So many burning questions, almost as burning as the horrific sunburns all the participating players earned as they all sought the one thing that would validate their play, their seasons, and, in many cases, their entire existence - a purple towel that would proclaim them, for all to see (or at least all that showered with them with said towel), "champion"!
Day One - Friday Morning
Day one saw Ohio's Force take on the home team, Indiana, while Michigan took on the depleted Illinois (sadly, Illinois succumbed to many of that same fates that faced those who played the famous tennis video game Oregon Trail).
As to Ohio, Captain Jeremy knew that the USTA schedule makers had given his travelling Ohio club a nice advantage in that they had only one match to play that day, but he also knew that the schedule makers had set his beloved NEO Force on an immediate 3.0 collision course in an opening match versus one of the event favorites, the hometown Indianans!
Realizing the import of the day's event, Captain Jeremy put together what he hoped would be his strongest lineup against one of the strongest teams in a seemingly very strong 3.0 field! And in doubles, arguably the strongest team in all of Ohio, Jim and John (speaking of strong, their weight room workouts are so legendary that Jim is often unable to wear shirts with sleeves, for he is so jacked), took the court at #1 doubles, and like the #1 doubles team they are, they quickly got the road team on the score board first with an impressive 3 & 0 3.0 victory. Indiana's Captain Troy, however, who had actually travelled all the way across state lines early in the year to scout Ohio tennis and had actually played against some of the Force players, knew his Indiana team was strong in the doubles, and thus put in undefeated Charles and Brad in at #2. The plan, and the scouting, paid immediate dividends, and, despite a spirited effort by Force veterans Timothy and Robert, where Timothy patrolled the backcourt with his impressive spin while Robert monitored the net play with his impressive height, the Indiana pair remained undefeated for the fifth straight time in 2021!
With the team score tied at 1-1, Indiana's Captain Troy called his own number, and tag-teamed with Aaron, a player he'd teamed up with over 30 times, to try and take the team lead. Force countered with The A-Team 1.0, Anthony and Ado, the duo who had all but sewed up the team's State Championship the week before. However, the vast experience of Troy and Aaron immediately paid dividends as Indiana jumped out to a quick lead, but The A-Team countered back in the second. At a crucial junction of the second, though, the home team's use of the bright Indiana sun stymied the now near-blinded NEO players, and unable to see the ball (which it turns out is a key part of tennis), Ohio struggled, and as such, Indiana was able to hold on to a close, but deciding, second set win.
And with that, Ohio's fates rested upon it's singles players, two players who had, just the week before at the State Championships, been all but bageled with their impressive display of ... getting beaten both badly and quickly. Wael at #1 and Travis at #2 took on Indiana's Colton and Matt, and the assembled crowds (i.e., the high school kids who were trying to get to class while these middle aged men were playing tennis during their 1st period high school classes) were in for a treat as all four players played, in their opening matches, incredibly defensively (which obviously made for some great* tennis). Ohio's Travis played his tried-and-true pusher style "strategy," moving his opponent around the court on the hot, hot day, attempting to tire him out, while Indiana's Matt retrieved every ball, attempting to find his opponent's weakness (which took exactly one point, as Matt discovered that any mid-court lob of any kind Travis would immediately send straight back into the net). What strategy! Back and forth this went, both players utilizing their strategy to try and control the match, hoping beyond hope that the other would finally make a mistake. After nearly two hours, nearly 70 gallons of lost sweat, approximately 27 missed overheads, and Ohio co-captain Scott shaking his head in disappointment exactly 27 times, Travis was able to somehow eek out the win over a clearly exhausted Matt, helping to tie the team match at 2-2 as both he and Matt proclaimed how much they never wanted to play tennis ever again (to which the assembled high school kids agreed was a good idea).
Which meant it would all come down to #1 singles! Indiana's Colton enjoyed a fine 6-3 league season and undefeated playoff record while Ohio's Wael had just gone 0-2 at the State Championships and was no doubt looking to find some 3.0 confidence on the vast and spacious Indiana courts. Initially, though, it didn't look like Indiana would be the place to find said confidence, as Colton came out swinging (which always helps in the sport of tennis), taking an early lead. Wael, though, counter-punched his way into the match, playing fantastic defense to stymie the aggressive play of his counterpart, eventually utilizing an amazing array of lobs to keep the Indiananananan (we're pretty sure that's how you spell it) off-balance. And with each succeeding point, Wael's play frustrated Colton, especially with his ability to not just get to every ball, but immediately turn defense to offense. Sticking to his game plan, Wael not only won the first set, but the second as well, helping to both end his personal three game playoff losing streak and, more importantly, helping to secure the team win for his fellow Ohians!
Michigan, the presumed #1 seed, made short work of Illinois, who, unfortunately were both depleted and injured. Illinois, unable to travel with their full contingent, were forced to forfeit two courts the entire tournament and then, to make matters worse, one of their top players, Segundo, came down with a major injury just before the tournament, and though he gave it a valiant effort, said injury was simply too much. As such, Illinois was unable to field a full roster for the event, but still, they battled, and congratulations to William for getting his state on the scoreboard with his #2 singles win!
Day Two - Friday Afternoon
Indiana, the home team, had to return to the courts later that day to take on Wisconsin, showing maybe they didn't really have home court advantage after all (as Indiana's Aaron proclaimed, "Come on man, we're 3.0ers, they don't care..." Indeed!), and despite the heat, the humidity, the two matches in one day, and the high school kids walking out of their afternoon classes and cheering (i.e, mocking) them, they still put on a fantastic display, getting the victory over their northern rivals and putting themselves back in contention for the Midwest Championships with a convincing team win over the Cheeseheads from up north.
Day 1 Standings
Indiana 1-1
Michigan 1-0
Ohio 1-0
Wisconsin 0-1
Illinois 0-1
Day Two - Saturday Morning
Ohio, suddenly finding themselves in the running for an unexpected Midwest Championship, had spent the previous night game planning and prepping their minds and bodies for the day ahead. In regards to their bodies, the crew made sure to hydrate* as much as possible Friday night, so much so that there was never not any doubt they'd be not ready. In regards to their minds, Force's resident giant, Big Joe made sure the crew were mentally prepared as he showed them multiple episodes of the tennis documentary, Prince of Tennis. Captain Jeremy could only nod in approval as he knew beyond a doubt (ehhhh...) that his team was as ready as they'd ever be (which is sadly probably true).
And ready they would have to be, for Ohio's only - and thus favorite! - remaining 3.0 club had not one but two matches on day two, which would seemingly test their reserves. However, the Schedule Gods were once again on Ohio's side, for their morning match was against the depleted Illinois, which gave Captain Jeremy the opportunity to rest some players as the Chicago based club would be forfeiting two courts.
That's not to say that there wasn't some early drama! Captain Jeremy made the bold decision to put in two new doubles teams against Illinois' non-existent doubles teams, Timothy and Anthony in at #3 and Travis and Scott in at #2. Never playing together, virtually or in person, this was indeed a bold move! But a bolder move was expecting the foursome to actually appear on time, as, per USTA rules, the four had to physically appear at the beginning of the match, show their ID's, and check in with the referee for the results to officially count as an Ohio win. If they did not, there could be a double default. WHOA! Default versus Default!
For a moment, it looked like such a defaulted match would take place as Anthony, who had hydrated significantly the night before, and Travis, who had lost his ID, barely showed up in time to win their almost-impossible-to-lose matches. But, thanks to Captain Jeremy's leadership (i.e., yelling at them), show up they did, and with that Ohio was off to a quick 2-0 lead! Anthony celebrated by sleeping on the sidewalk for the next four hours while Travis shared with any one who would listen that with that official victory, he had just tied the great Clem Kissling as having the most 3.0 victories all-time (what a way to match the record!). Meanwhile, Timothy enjoyed his first every playoff victory while Scott ran his playoff undefeated streak to a perfect 5-0! Congrats, gentlemen!
On the courts, the players who actually had to physically play, went at it! As it turned out, Ohio's #1 doubles tandem continued their dominating run, as Jim and John enjoyed their
second straight 3 & 0 victory, thus sealing the team win for the team. And though the match result was determined, it was still time for players to get valuable court experience on the big stage, and indeed, NEO Cover Boy and tennis GQ model Adam, who had played a major role in securing Force's State Championship victory the week before but had been quite busy since then helping to secure numerous tennis modeling jobs, took to #2 singles in a fast-track effort to get in court shape for the later matches. Adam, knocking off the rust of not playing for a week due to his busy USTA photo shoot schedule, as well as the rust of his actual racquet breaking, was able to wear down his opponent with his combination of defense, charm, and obvious good looks (on a sale of 1 to 10, he's clearly an, ahem, 3.0...), leaving his defeated opponent sad with the loss, but still excited that he was able to play against the Brad Pitt of 3.0 tennis.
Wael, meanwhile, used the momentum of yesterday's victory to earn yet another playoff win, this time against one of the tallest and strongest players all of Illinois had to offer in William, the sole Illini winner from the previous days' Illinois match. William, gassed after his three set SUPER TIE-BREAK victory the day before, and also suffering due to how tall and therefore how close to the blazing Indiana sun he actually was, struggled with the heat and humidity of the day, and almost retired due to said heat. But Wael, the tennis gentleman that he is, offered up numerous bottles of water to his opponent, showing the class that all of Ohio - ALL OF IT! - is known for (except for 11 teammates who kept yelling at him to not be a gentlemen, which is still kind of ... classy?). As it turned out, however, Wael's relentless retrieving of every possible ball, combined with his amazing defensive lobs, combined with his teammate Anthony supporting him from the sidelines by napping during his match, helped to keep his opponent at bay. Indeed, the last game of the last set epitomized the match, as William had four overhead smashes in a row that Wael retrieved, the last retrieval a deep lob for a winner that William could only applaud. And with that, Ohio had run out to a 5-0 win to go 2-0 in the standings!
Michigan, playing at the same time, kept pace with their geographical tennis neighbors, this time enjoying a sweep of the game squad from The Land of Cheddar. Especially notable were the intimidating trio, The Three Tim's, all of whom had gone undefeated in their matches so far this tournament run!
Day Two - Saturday Afternoon
The afternoon matches started soon after the morning matches, giving both Ohio and Wisconsin little room for rest and recovery (although it did give Captain Jeremy time to wake up the Sleeping Beauty that was Anthony). Captain Jeremy's Ohio, however, had been able to rest up, and on a day as hot and humid. asthis (side note - how many times can we complain about how "hot and humid" it was that day?), rest was no doubt important!
Indeed, the rest proved to be a key difference immediately, as the rested Travis was able to enjoy what turned out to be a 3.0 record 98th career 3.0 win (which is equal parts impressive and ... sad), which he celebrated by walking into the net for the post-match handshake, getting his foot stuck in the net, and almost breaking his foot in what would have been a fitting end to his season. Meanwhile the rested and hydrated* Anthony was able to team with GQ tennis model Adam to enjoy a relatively commanding win at #2 doubles, in what turned out to be their fourth straight tag-team playoff win! Meanwhile, Jim and John continued to dominate the field, dropping but one game at #1 doubles, especially impressive as they had just played earlier in the day, while #1 singles stalwart Wael's confidence continued to grow with yet another #1 singles victory, this one thankfully brief considering he'd done double singles duty on this two-match day! With the team match clinched, Big Joe and Remesh showed the depth of Team Ohio as they took to #3 doubles, getting on the court for the first time and helping to give some of the roster some much needed rest. And while they fell, they harnessed all the Prince of Tennis skills they could muster while Big Joe had double digit aces, and though the experience of their opponent, the crafty John, proved too much, the Ohio pairing no doubt made their tennis dojo proud!
The most anticipated match of the day was no doubt the home town #2 seed versus the State From Up North #1 seed! Michigan, at 2-0, had looked dominate throughout the event, with The Three Tim's dominating the field. Meanwhile, Indiana, had rallied from an opening day loss to find themselves right smack dab in the middle of some 3.0 championship tennis! Michigan's Timothy, at 14-1 in singles in his career, was the most feared 3.0 singles player in all the bracket, and he lived up to his reputation with a convincing win over a very strong Colton. Indiana's Matt, however, recovered from his marathon match the day before, was able to tie the team score with his first ever playoff win at #2 singles. Meanwhile, #1 and #2 doubles split, meaning ... the match would come down - as it usually is fated to do - to #3 doubles! And in #3 doubles, both teams had loaded up their squad with a foursome of fearsome 3.0ers. Michigan's gentle giant Tim joined forced with all-around player Sam to face off versus one of the most paired tandems in recent 3.0 history, Aaron and Troy who, at 2-0 this event, had over 30 matches together. The Michiganders jumped out to the early lead, and indeed, all hoped looked lost for Team Indiana, but down a set and down 2-5 the second, the long-time partners pulled from their vast resources of experience and not only got back in the match, but won the second and the SUPER TIE-BREAK as well! WHOA! And with that the whole tournament had been turned upside down!
Day Two Standings
Ohio 3-0
Michigan 2-1
Indiana 2-1
Wisconsin 0-3
Illinois 0-3
Day Three - Sunday
As the final day of the event - day three - was about to take place, every 3.0 player in attendance knew the score (which, to be honest, usually is forgotten midway through most 3.0 matches, leading to the inevitable, "Um ... what's the score...?" question). Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana were all still in the running to be crowned the best of the lowest level rec league tennis in all the Midwest! Indiana, while in third place, could still take home the title (a very short trip, indeed) if Michigan beat Ohio and Indiana could sweep Wisconsin later in the day. Michigan, in second place, needed to win at least 3-2, but because of tie-breakers, a 4-1 win was needed to secure the Maize and Blue's victory (although the only Michigan guy wearing Maize and Blue was actually a guy from Indiana, so ...). For first place Ohio, it was relatively simple - win, and they would be the greatest lowest level USTA team in all the Midwest! Lose and they were ... maybe still the greatest lowest level USTA team in all the Midwest. It was just that simple!
In the morning match, playing for pride, which, to be honest is probably all there is to really play for, Illinois showed great resolve, taking all three available courts to a three-set SUPER TIE-BREAKER, and while they fell to 0-5 as a team, they impressed everyone with their never-give up 3.0 attitude! Wisconsin, meanwhile, secured 4th place, getting their first team win, gaining valuable playoff experience that will no doubt pay off next season!
Home team Indiana, meanwhile, looked to keep the pressure on either Michigan or Ohio, and while this match took place after the results were already decided, we are talking about it here to add some false drama! What's not false, however, is that Indiana enjoyed their third win of the event while Captain Troy and doubles partner Aaron took home their fourth win of the event, making every single Hoosier in attendance proud!
As to Ohio and Michigan, on a day as momentous as this, when three clubs were working for the ultimate goal - a no-expenses paid trip to the vacation destination that is Oklahoma City, which would be hosting the National Championships for the lowest level rec league tennis in the land, leadership was no doubt required, not just in setting up the lineups but in helping with the motivation. In this regard, Ohio enjoyed three distinct advantages which, as it turned out, would play huge 3.0 dividends. One, the team had spent much of the previous two days watching and learning from Big Joe's tennis sensei, The Prince of Tennis, taking in the tips necessary to give them any and all advantages necessary to bring tennis glory back to their NEO dojo.
Second, the team, like most teams who have a close bond and are 100% friends forever and ever, had an inspiring team cheer, and, after some motivational pre-match talk, the squad put their hands together, counted 1-2-3, and let out a primal cheer of "SCOTT HOVEY!" Not only did this cheer inspire the Ohio players, but it clearly struck fear in the tennis hearts of their opponents who no doubt were wondering what they had just heard. [Side note: this is actually 100% accurate and we realize this is borderline creepy]
Third, the team enjoyed one of the greatest leaders in recent 3.0 history, Captain Jeremy. Not only had he assembled this rag-tag squad, but he had molded them into an efficient, on-time machine, that never ever led to any stress or multiple phone calls and texts trying to find a certain teammate right before the lineups had to be turned in and possibly defaulting the entire team. So, so efficient!
Thus, with those three advantages, things looked good for Team Ohio! That being said, however, their were several hurdles they had to overcome, including the fact that the raucous home crowd was certainly against them, as host Indiana needed Michigan to win to help their chances while Michigan needed to win to, well, win.
And win Michigan looked to do! The team from up north (technically true and no really a cut down) immediately came out strong, somehow defeating the dreamy combo of A-Team 2.0, Anthony and Adam, especially impressive as the pair had heretofore been undefeated together. But Michigan's Captain Seth and the one-loss Jose, a pairing that the captain had adroitly dropped from their usual #1 spot to #3, came to play (which is kind of ... expected). With Captain Seth's leadership, the Michigan duo was able to stave off big point after big point, and while most the games came down to deuce, it was the Wolverines of the tennis court (that would actually be quite terrifying if someone let loose wolverines on the tennis courts) who were able to get the win and get Michigan on the team scoreboard first.
In #2 doubles, Michigan would soon be 2-0 and in the 3.0 driver's seat as Chris and Sam, both with only one loss on the season, would add to their win total versus Ohio's Ado, the hero of last weekend's State Championship, and the rejuvenated and heretofore undefeated Scott, who had never lost a 3.0 playoff doubles match in his entire adult 3.0 playoff life and was just coming off an impressive* 6-0, 6-0 victory the day before!
Scott, with the eye of the tennis tiger!
Until now. (Sorry Scott...!)
Are those two identical pictures? Or does Travis just do the same charge-the-net play every single time because he can't actually swing a racquet? YES!
Thus, down 0-2, things looked bleak for Team Ohio, especially as they still had the Tres Tim's at their disposal. Thankfully for Ohio's #2 singles player Travis, his opponent Lonnie's name didn't start with "Tim," thus giving him a slight advantage as the Three Tim's had torn apart the tournament. The other advantage Travis enjoyed was that Lonnie had endured a three set SUPER TIE-BREAK match the day before, and though he won, the 2+ hour match in the blistering heat (we haven't complained about the heat in a while...) no doubt took its toll, and the slice and dice efforts of his opponent eventually started to take their toll as well. Lonnie answered back with some fine forehand winners, but the annoyingly dull and boring play of Travis, combined with the hot, hot heat (so, so hot!), proved too much, and Travis was able to limp away with the win, thus helping to get Ohio on the scoreboard, but down 1-2.
And while Ohio had just shifted momentum, the problem for them was that on the grandstand court (it was the grandstand court because it was actually near some actual stands), Michigan had the #1 singles player in the entire tournament - and thus the entire Midwest?! - playing! One of the Three Tim's ... TIM! With his blistering serves and huge power, Tim had destroyed all 13 of his opponents during the season and had gone undefeated in singles play throughout the playoffs. Moreover, he hadn't lost in over two seasons (partly because he hadn't played for one full season, but still), and had an amazing 20-1 record to his name! Meanwhile, Ohio's only hope, Wael, had gone an entire playoff series completely defeated, going 0-2 at the State Championships, though, it must be said, he was currently enjoying a 3-0 Midwest run. But that run looked to be coming to an aprupt end Michigan's Tim controlled the match early, using an array of power and touch to keep his opponent off-balance, pushing him back with huge serves but also moving him in with deft volleys. Wael, though, continued to play fantastic defense, prolonging each point to it's maximum, keeping the ball on the court at all costs (which, well, that's kind of what tennis is
about). The non-stop effort of the Ohioan, combined with the - wait for it - OUT OF CONTROL INDIANAPOLIS HEAT, wore on the Michigander, and soon, Tim began to falter, falling in the first set 5-7. In the second, it was more of the same, Wael's defense versus Tim's power, Tim launching huge serves ... that Wael would block back; Tim cranking powerful overhead after overhead after overhead (that's not hyperbole, by the way, that happened multiple times during the match) ... that Wael would block back; Tim lasering blistering forehands ... that Wael would block back. It's no surprise that the name "Wael," in Aramaic, means "wall" (we at D.F.O. are actually quite surprised that we're not making that up, by the way). In the end, Wael's relentless wall-like defense, his defensive-to-offensive lobs, the cheering of Big "The Prince of Tennis" Joe from the sidelines all added up to a huge upset victory the likes of which no one could predict! (except for Wael's teammate and fellow singles player Travis, who was heard before the match to predict, "there's not a chance in heck Wael is winning this one" ... nailed it!)
Thus, at 2-2, the fate of the entire Midwest 3.0 universe would come down to both state's ace doubles teams, Michigan's Two Tim's, who were 4-1 together, and Ohio's Two J's, Jim and John, who were an impressive 7-0 side-by-side in the playoffs together! However, as both sides were on match numero quatro on the hot, hot, hottest weekend of 3.0 tennis that had ever taken place (probably), both were no doubt gassed and running on tennis fumes. But, with the hopes and dreams of their entire states behind them, both tag-teams gave it their 3.0 all! The Michigander's utilized their height, trying to control the net, while the Ohian's countered by using their impressive all-court coverage with a dizzying array of touch and angles. Back and forth it went, with the Ohioans, who had dominated the doubles field the entire tournament, feeling the constant pressure of their opponents. But Jim and John, so close on the court that they share the same team cheer ("COME ON JIM!"), were able to withstand said pressure, notching an important first set 7-5 win. Team Tim, though, refused to throw in the white tennis towel, and instead marched back to take the second set, the first team to win a set against the powerful Ohio duo all playoff long - Districts, State, and Midwest included! WHOA!
A reenactment of the Midwest Championship clinching match point (sadly we at D.F.O. were unable to get the actual match point on video or even on photo as the courts the host facility were super, super far away and no one at D.F.O. had the energy to actually walk over to the courts to watch the biggest match of the entire season. But if we had seen match point, we're sure it would have looked like this).
Jim and John, though, facing the toughest playoff test of their 3.0 playoff lives, were no doubt on their heels, and were down early in the match and team deciding third set SUPER TIE-BREAK. But at a crucial juncture of the SUPER TIE-BREAK, both looked at one another and knew they simply had to say one thing to get back on track. In unison, they yelled "COME ON JIM!" and just like that - BOOM! - point after point went their way! Soon they not only overcame the early deficit, but won the SUPER TIE-BREAK to move their personal doubles playoff streak to eight straight consecutive undefeated wins! And, more importantly, clinching the Midwest Championships for Team Ohio!
And with that, 3.0 history was made as Rocky River's Force enjoyed their first ever Midwest Championship! Indeed, becoming the first NEO club since 2017 (NCRC) to take the Midwest Title Towel, the crew from Ohio no doubt brought back much joy, pride, and internet searches on Expedia as they scrambled to figure out how to get from Cleveland to Oklahoma City in a month for the National Championships!
But for today, the crew could celebrate a whole team effort! Captain Jeremy and co-captain Scott, putting together winning lineups ... Jim showing the necessity of multiple outfit changes ... Big Joe forcing the crew to watch tennis anime in efforts to learn the secrets of the Prince of Tennis ... the actual Prince of Tennis, John, actually playing legit tennis and carpooling a car-less Travis across state lines ... Anthony showing the necessity of power naps ... Ado teaching the team about the Balkans ... Roger staying in Canada to ensure his citizenship was up to date so the team wouldn't be disqualified ... Andrew for being DQ'd and helping to make this a Hallmark-type underdog story ... Travis cherry-picking his way on to. the roster of an already really good team ... Chris, Harry, and Mark supporting the team all playoff-long even after they heard that Force wasn't going to reimburse their gas mileage ... Jim's entourage giving the team support all weekend long ... Timothy, going 1-1 despite limited play and getting a big 0 & 0 win versus Illinois ... Scott showing Travis how to play winning doubles with their 0 & 0 victory together ... Remesh and Robert, playing and supporting the crew all playoff-long ... and Adam getting the team window seats at fancy Indiana restaurants due to his celebrity good looks. In the end, it was an amazing weekend of low level tennis in which every single member of the team played a role, in which every single member of the team was deserving of their low level tennis status, and in which every single member of the team could do only one thing - immediately thank the one person who truly explained their ultimate success: Scott. Hovey.
(Sorry Scott!)
And in other news ...
Congrats to the 40+ Dayton team for winning the Midwest Championships! While we here at D.F.O. focus on low level tennis in the northeastern part of the great state of O-H-I-O, we would be remiss if we didn't send some applause down to our southern Ohio brothers on their fantastic low level rec league accomplishment!
So do I get to sign the banner?