Eastpointe

East Detroit boys tennis team’s turnaround season continues

By Jason Carmel Davis
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by David Schreiber The Shamrocks won the MAC Blue Division tournament Oct. 2. East Detroit also won the league regular-season title. Pictured, East Detroit’s No. 2 singles player, Brett Erskine, took home a flight championship. Photo by David Schreiber The Shamrocks won the MAC Blue Division tournament Oct. 2. East Detroit also won the league regular-season title. Pictured, East Detroit’s No. 2 singles player, Brett Erskine, took home a flight championship.

EASTPOINTE — The East Detroit High boys tennis team’s march through the Macomb Area Conference Blue Division continued Oct. 2 with a win in the division tournament.

The Shamrocks tallied 55 points in winning the eight-team MAC Blue tournament. Utica High placed second with 51 points, followed by Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, which scored 43 points.

The division tournament championship comes on the heels of East Detroit (10-2, 7-0 MAC Blue at press time) winning the regular-season title. The Shamrocks’ success comes after the team finished last in the regular season and division tournament in 2011.

Brett Erskine (No. 2 singles) took home a tournament title, while the No. 2 team of Zachary Gray and Zachary Mevedal won a doubles championship.

“Everybody on our team is just playing really well right now,” East Detroit coach Phil Morey said. “We clinched the division a couple of weeks ago, and there’s been no letdown. Everybody is still playing hard.”

Last year’s struggles are behind the team, Morey said. The 2011 season was somewhat of an aberration.

The Shamrocks boys tennis program has a strong recent history, sharing the MAC Blue crown with Utica Ford II in 2010 and winning the MAC Gold in 2008 and 2009.

Morey said the focus now shifts to the postseason.

Even though the Shamrocks had a down regular season in 2011, the team played its way to the Michigan High School Athletic Association regional round. That’s the goal for this year’s team, Morey said.

“We know things get tougher now. The opponents will be much tougher,” Morey said. “We’re gonna scrimmage with (Warren De La Salle) to see where we’re at. But our goal is to get to the next level and make it to (the state finals).”

East Detroit’s Division 2 regional takes place Oct. 12 at Lakefront Park in Grosse Pointe Woods. Morey said advancing to the state finals will be a tall task because North and University of Detroit Jesuit field solid teams.

Eleven teams are in the Shamrocks’ region. The top two teams, plus any team that earns 18 points, qualify for states.

“The competition is going to be fierce,” Morey said. “This will really be a big test for us. We’ll just have to play up to our abilities.”

For playoff results, check www. candgnews.com or www.mhsaa.com.
 

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Jason Carmel Davis at jdavis@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1107. Follow Jason Carmel on Twitter.