NET RETURNS

Trenton Trio Headed Back To State Tournament

A year ago, the Trenton High School boys tennis team made history by sending a school record four players to state.
One year later, the three state qualifiers that returned this season are going back.
The doubles team of Nick Shields and Creed Houghton and Gabe Swann in singles play all clinched return trips to Springfield on Tuesday at the individual sectional in Cameron.
“Congrats to Nick, Creed and Gabe for getting to return to the state individual tournament for a second year in a row,” Trenton Coach David Sager said. “That’s an accomplishment that many don’t get a chance to do.”
Fresh off individual District 15 championships the day before, the Trenton trio cruised at Tuesday’s sectional, defeating the District 16 runners-up with relative ease.
Shields and Houghton scored a 6-3 victory in the opening set over a Savannah duo, then put the Savages away with a 6-2 win in the second set. Swann had an even easier time, dispatching his LeBlond opponent 6-1, 6-0.
Also in sectional action for Trenton was the doubles team of Jeremy Elliott and Isaac Harris. The duo qualified for sectionals by finishing runner-up to Shields and Houghton at individual districts on Monday. They battled the District 15 doubles champions from Savannah for the right to go to state. Unfortunately, Trenton was denied sending all of its sectional qualifiers to state as Elliott and Harris were upended 7-5, 6-2.
“Isaac and Jeremy came up on the short end today, but they did press that Savannah doubles team very well in the first set and should not hang their heads on how they played,” Sager said.
Houghton returns to state in doubles play, where he was a state medalist last year, teaming with then-senior Kade Ockenfels, who graduated after the season. Houghton and Ockenfels placed eighth at state to earn medals. It was the first state doubles medals won in school history for Trenton and Houghton and Ockenfels became just the second and third state medalists in the history of the Trenton boys program.
Houghton will look to become the only two-time state medalist ever for the Trenton program when he returns, teaming this year with Shields.
Shields and Swann were both state qualifiers in the singles bracket last year. The pair will be looking for their first state wins this year as the duo each went 0-2 in singles play a year ago.
The trio advancing to state for a second year in a row doubled the number of two-time state qualifiers in the program’s history. Prior to Shields, Houghton and Swann, the only multiple-time state qualifiers in boys tennis from Trenton were Brad Cross (1981 and 1982), Matt Dougan (1981 and 1982) and Don Lafferty (1984 and 1985).
The individual state tournament begins with first-round matches on Friday, May 24. First serves at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield are scheduled for 9 a.m. that day.
Before that, however, Trenton has its chance to make it to state as a team. The Bulldogs will be in team sectional action on Friday in Marshall. Trenton will face Savannah in the sectional round of the state playoffs at 9 a.m. If the Bulldogs win, they will then turn around and face the winner of the Pembroke Hill-Marshall sectional in the state quarterfinals that same day. That match will begin at noon in Marshall and the winner will go to state as a team, playing on Thursday, May 23 before individual state begins.
“We still have a lot of tennis to go this postseason, so we’ll need to gear back up and prepare for Savannah in the opening round of the team state tournament,” Sager said. “I’m very proud of these five men today and can’t wait to see what they will continue to accomplish this season.”
INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS
Trenton pushed five players into the sectional round of the state playoffs during the individual district tournament in Excelsior Springs on Monday.
Shields and Houghton and Elliott and Harris each marched undefeated into the championship match of the doubles bracket. The two Trenton duos then met with the district championship on the line. Shields and Houghton won that honor 6-1, 6-1, but the top two in both singles and doubles advanced to sectionals, meaning both teams were moving on.
For Shields and Houghton, the day began with a first-round bye, followed by a 6-0, 6-1 quarterfinal win over a team from Richmond. After that, Trenton’s top duo placed themselves into the championship match with a 6-0, 6-0 win over a Chillicothe team.
Elliott and Harris, meanwhile, received a first-round bye before defeating a Cameron duo 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals. The Trenton team then defeated their Carrollton opponents 7-5, 6-1 to get to the championship match.
Swann, meanwhile, cruised to the singles championship, getting a 6-0, 6-2 win over a Chillicothe foe in the quarterfinals after a first-round bye. He then picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win over a Cameron opponent in the semifinals.
In the championship match, Swann netted a 6-1, 6-3 win over another Chillicothe opponent to clinch the singles championship and keep his record on the season unblemished.
“It was a very dominant day for our individual champs in both brackets,” Sager said. “There was no stopping them – not even our own team in the same bracket.”
Also in action for Trenton at individual districts was Weston Otto, who was 0-1 on the day. Otto fell 6-4, 6-2 to an Excelsior Springs opponent to end the individual portion of his season.
“Nick, Creed, Gabe, Isaac, Jeremy and Weston all represented our school and community well,” Sager said.