Ada lands two on tennis list

Bob Forrest Guest Sports Writer Ada Evening News

Ada —  Success didn’t spoil Ada’s Chase Sheffield.

Sheffield, who began his varsity tennis career with a runner-up finish in No. 2 Doubles as a freshman and finished it as part of the two most successful AHS boys teams of this decade, was named Friday to the East All-State squad. He joins Ada girls No. 1 Doubles player Erica Poe as this year’s All-State representatives from a program that has been one of the most successful in Oklahoma under coach Skip Griese for the past two-plus decades.

The games will be played Tuesday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Tulsa.

Fifth at state after moving to No. 1 Doubles as a sophomore, Sheffield teamed with another Ada All-Stater, Brandon Russell, for a clutch third-place finish at last year’s state tournament that lifted the Cougars into a tie for second in the team standings. This year, he was third again — this time with new partner, John Stout — as Ada finished alone in second place behind Bishop Kelley.

“Each year at the state tournament, Chase only lost one match,” said Griese, whose boys squad advanced all six players to the semifinals at last week’s state tournament for the first time since his 1998 team captured the state title. “Chase is an exceptional doubles player, with both the mental and physical game to compete.

“This year’s team EARNED second place,” Griese said. “Everybody had crucial matches during the tournament that they had to win, and they did.”

Sheffield and Stout, who beat the Tulsa Washington duo of Maurice Colbert and Patrick Turner in a three-set marathon in the third-place match at the state tournament, finished the season 22-6.

Poe and partner Madison Whitworth posted back-to-back, fifth-place finishes in No. 1 Doubles at the state tournament on a rebuilding AHS girls squad in 2009 and again this spring on a team that wound up fourth in the team standings.

“Erica had an extremely good career,” Griese said of Poe, who teamed with Whitworth to post a 26-9 record this spring and to win regional titles in both 2009 and 2010. “She played four years, and she played on the second day for points every year.

“Both (Sheffield and Poe) deserved the honor,” he added. “They represented Ada well, and I’m extremely proud of them.”