Prep tennis | Lakewood Ranch girls team bracing for tough region
MANATEE -- At this time last year, Lakewood Ranch girls tennis coach Ed Bongart maximized his lineup -- along with unselfish players willing to change -- to produce the program's first team state championship.
That road started at the district tournament.
This year, though, Bongart has had to tinker in a different way.
After losing his top two players, including daughter Ashley (Tennessee) and Lauren Proctor (Winthrop), to the college ranks, Bongart assembled a talent-laden squad but suffered various injuries, illnesses and previous commitments that stunted a well-balanced look.
One injury to former Out-of-Door Academy and Cardinal Mooney tennis player Alana Sherman, a senior, forced Bongart to wait as long as possible to see if she'd return in time for the postseason.
It didn't happen, so he's spent the past couple of weeks deciding what his formation will be when Tuesday's Class 4A regional playoffs begin.
"My theory is you need two strong teams," Bongart said about doubles. "It's not good to have one really strong team and have the other one suffer. I want an opportunity if we're down 3-2 to win both doubles matches, not to win one and lose one."
But what is expected is a tough matchup with a district runner-up in Clearwater Countryside.
So to brace for Countryside -- and if the Mustangs win to advance to a possible match against Tampa Plant -- Bongart is focusing on the doubles action.
"I truly believe it's going to come down to doubles," Bongart said. "We're going to be up or down 3-2 going into doubles (Tuesday). We're also in a very tough region. I also believe the winner of this region has a very good shot at making it to the actual state finals."
In the past, winning two rounds of regional tennis dual matches earned a trip to the state meet, where teams competed in the district-styled format of gaining points per individual victory.
That's gone this year, as the region format was adopted to produce a quarterfinal, semifinal and final pitting teams one-on-one.
"I'm all in favor of it. I've been in favor of it since I started coaching nine years ago," Bongart said. "I had teams, some boys teams, where I felt if we could play a dual match we'd be really strong. ... I think it brings
out a true team champion versus in the other format, you could get a lucky draws or bad draws."
The Lakewood Ranch girls aren't the only ones competing.
Braden River's boys team hosts Tampa King in Class 3A.
Southeast's boys host Cape Coral in 2A. Bayshore's girls team travels to Fort Myers Bishop Verot.
And in 1A, the Out-of-Door Academy boys and girls are both hosting regional first-round matches against Naples Seacrest Country Day and Fort Myers Canterbury, respectively.
Saint Stephen's girls are at Naples Community School in 1A.
Tuesday's winners return to the courts Thursday with a shot at qualifying as one of 16 teams advancing in their respective classifications in next week's Florida High School Athletic Association tennis state tournament.
The 4A and 3A state tourney is held at Sanlando Park, while the 2A and 1A tourneys are at Red Bug Lake Park and Sylvan Lake Park. All three locations are near Orlando.
Jason Dill, sports reporter, can be reached at 745-7017 or via email at jdill@bradenton.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason__Dill and like his Facebook page at Jason Dill Bradenton Herald.
This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 12:32 AM with the headline "Prep tennis | Lakewood Ranch girls team bracing for tough region ."