By Max Calhoun
After 36 years of coaching high school boys’ tennis, you would think head coach Tim Cleland had seen it all. But he’s experiencing something new this fall.
This year’s boys’ tennis team is different than years prior with four of the eight players on varsity being underclassmen and three of them being freshmen.
“It’s really unusual for freshmen to play varsity tennis,” Cleland said. ”I know in some sports you have freshmen playing varsity. In tennis, it happens in girls occasionally, but it’s rare. In all the years I’ve coached boys’ tennis, fewer than 10 freshmen have been full-time varsity players.”
This is the largest team in Delta boys’ tennis history with 14 freshmen and 37 total players. This leads to the team’s slogan of “Big Team, Big Dreams” with obvious hopes of competing for a top spot in the state. The Eagles are currently ranked 13th among all schools in Indiana.
With three freshmen in top varsity spots Cleland hopes to continue developing them.
“When players are younger, they’re usually a little bit more receptive to coaching and they haven’t heard it all before,” Cleland said. ”That’s good because you get a lot of wide eyes and interest in trying to get better.”
On Aug. 22-23, the team competed in the annual Jeffersonville Invitational where they faced five other state-ranked teams, including three of the top 11 teams.
Tennis in Indiana is not by class, meaning schools with 800 students like Delta could face juggernauts like Zionsville with 2,250 students and might just come away with a win.
Playing one singles for the Eagles this fall is freshman Jackson Darby, who transferred from county rival Yorktown. He has a 7-5 record so far.
“You can’t beat Coach Cleland, number one most wins in Indiana coaching history, so can’t beat that, but also just the environment,” Darby said, explaining why he enrolled at Delta. “I love the environment and just the people here are very welcoming.”
In his first varsity match ever, Darby played against a Zionsville player at number one singles. Darby won in three sets, 6-0, 3-6, 7-5.
For Darby his mental toughness is what sets him apart from other players with more experience.
“My first match in Jeffersonville was super long and I kept cramping, but I stayed in it,” Darby said.
But there’s more to Darby than just grit. He’s a physically mature freshman and a powerhouse athlete who’s been around tennis almost his whole life.
“He’s been in the game since he was basically a fetus,” said Cleland, who coached Jackson’s father, Bob, at Delta in the 1990s. Bob Darby is an assistant coach this season..
Two additional freshmen who have been around tennis for years are Charlie Vannatter (8-4 so far) and Brandon Grubbs (6-3 so far). Together, they bring a level of tennis IQ and experience that you rarely see from freshmen, making them a real force to watch.
Tennis in Spain is equivalent to baseball in America as kids spend numerous hours a day rallying back and forth. The country has produced all-time greats like Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.
Vannatter got to experience this firsthand two years ago when he traveled to Spain for the first time and attended Nadal’s namesake tennis camp.
The first three days of the trip were spent in Barcelona, Vannatter played various matches competing with Spain’s dedicated players.
The remaining days were spent on Rafael Nadal’s island, Mallorca.
Vannatter had an exhausting couple days playing tennis for four hours and doing mental exercises in the classroom.
He was granted the invitation through the Rafael Nadal camps in the U.S where they picked participants based on work ethic and potential.
Even though it was a tennis camp he came away learning more about how to carry himself.
“You have to have a positive mindset and give it all you got,” Vannatter said,” ”Like, with anything in life, they taught a lot about being a good person, not just a good tennis player. That’s their big thing there.”
He also went to the Jeffersonville Invitational and played number two singles, winning two matches including a victory over state power Jasper. His only loss was to state-ranked Guerin Catholic, the winner of his division.
Followed by a series of good wins in his following matches, Vannatter as of Sept. 11 has a record of 8-4 with matches against multiple opponents on state-ranked teams.
Freshman Brandon Grubbs moved in his eighth grade year to play for the middle school for one season. Grubbs’ dad Josh Grubbs is actually the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Taylor University in Upland.
Grubbs moved to Delta after his seventh grade year. Before arriving at Delta he went to school in the Leo High School district, where his dad was the coach. Three weeks into the season, Grubbs has played both one and two varsity doubles as well as number three varsity singles.
With his father being a head collegiate coach Grubbs has had a tennis mentor with him his whole life.
“It’s just like having another coach in addition to my other coaches,” Grubbs said.
He wants to continue to grow not just as a physically good player but on a more mental and confidence side, along with being more consistent.
As of right now he has played a variety of varsity positions, including some doubles matches with junior Tyce Dishman, who has multiple years of varsity experience under his belt.
Tyce brings knowledge and confidence to the team, helping to guide and motivate his young partner through tough matches and high-pressure moments.
The two have played a gauntlet of competition through their three matches together. They have a 1-2 record, but the two losses have both come against top 10 teams in the state, including a hard fought match against third-ranked Homestead.
Playing for Coach Cleland has made Grubbs’ transition to higher level tennis much easier,
“He’s just a great coach and he knows so much about tennis,” Grubbs said, “He’s very xperienced, so you can trust him with whatever decision he makes.”
Although these freshmen may be new to varsity, they’re already showing they can compete at a high level. With their “Big Team, Big Dreams” mindset, the Eagles are ready to keep building on their winning tradition.
