Wednesday Opponent Overview: Concord

Last Season Review
Last season was a very successful season for the young Minutemen, but I would guess it was ultimately disappointing. They finished the regular season with an 18-1 record (their only loss was to Penn), and were also the Northern Lakes Conference champions. This success was led by their trio of junior singles players, Andre Ziebold, Jared Queener, and Andre Moore. Between those three, they almost always were able to eek out 2 singles wins. They also had a dominant two doubles team, that often provided the crucial third point. However, in the Sectional championship against Northridge, Ziebold was upset by Northridge senior Jeff George, and Concord's number one doubles lost out on 7 match points, as the Minutemen fell to the eventual Regional champion, 3-2. During the course of the season, the Concord team appeared briefly in the state rankings at #24, and ended the season ranked #3 in the North-Eastern District (District 2) of Indiana. For the slightly unexpected results, coach Todd Denton was awarded the NLC Coach of the Year honor. It was undoubtedly a great year, but they will be looking to build on it this year.

Returning Varsity Players
Andre Ziebold - If I had to give out a most improved player award for our area, it would go to Jared Schwartzentruber. But coming in second would be Andre Ziebold. He went from squeezing by Jonny Shenk at #3 singles to defeating Luke Hostetter twice at #1 singles. He drastically improved all of his strokes, but he certainly made his forehand into a weapon to be feared. He was able to call on it at all times, especially critical moments, to provide clear cut winners. I heard that he put in a lot of work during the offseason, and it paid off with several crucial wins and a fourth place finish in the NLC Conference Tournament (in a field that included state ranked Deon Shafer and Preston Swain). With the time he will certainly put in this winter and spring, I expect him to be vying for All-State come fall.

Jared Queener - Queener is a player in much the same mold as Ziebold, but with less consistency. In matches against us this year, Jared Schwartzentruber was able to frustrate Queener by simply being more consistent and not committing errors as frequently. All the elements are there for Queener to be a dominant #2 singles player. He can hit with power and placement. This past season we has able to finish fourth at the NLC Championships.

Andre Moore - I don't know this officially, but I wouldn't be surprised if Moore went undefeated this season. I can tell you this for sure, Moore was the most dominant #3 singles player I have seen yet in my coaching career. My brother's Angola team that went undefeated in 2003 had an undefeated #3, but I think that Moore is better. His strokes are incredibly similar to the players above him, maybe not quite as powerful. But I was always impressed with his court mentality. He always held it together quietly and took care of business. He never seemed worried or frustrated, and this lack of emotion cracked many of the opponents I watched him play this season. He took the #3 singles championship at the Northern Lakes Conference tournament, a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Northridge's Dylan Pieri. If he returns at the same position this year, I think that Concord will have a guaranteed point in every match they play.

Matt Schoeffler - Again, I have difficulty remembering who is who in doubles teams, but what I do know is that Concord's #1 doubles team took us apart twice this season. And the main difference is while we aggressively took the net, they were able to pick us apart with groundstrokes. Usually, when a doubles team is put under pressure by an aggressive opponent, their strokes become loose and error filled. Not so with Schoeffler and DuMont. They picked their spots and often passed us with ease. Johnny and Jeremy gave them a fight, but both matches ended with relatively one sided 6-2, 6-2 scorelines.

Other Possible 2009 Varsity Contributors
Brandon Frutig - lost 2-6, 0-6 to Ben Mast
Zack Ehret - lost 0-6, 0-6 to Seth Krabill
Zach Beaver/Matt Ciesielski - lost 0-6, 2-6 to Russell Klassen/Kyle Miller

Outlook
Returning four varsity players is a big deal. It gives you four solid positions in your lineup, four less places to worry about, four places to feel secure. And remember, three spots is enough to win a match. This Concord squad actually reminds me alot of our 2008 team. They weren't supposed to be the greatest this past season, but they worked really hard and maybe overachieved slightly. Now, convinced of how good they can be, I expect them to do as our seniors did: work really hard again and make it over the hump this time. I think they have a real shot at winning their Sectional, and a real shot at winning the Regional after that. I'm sure they have their goals set that high. I would not be surprised to see Concord in the state rankings throughout much of next season, and they will certainly push for another Northern Lakes Conference crown. Northridge will provide their main competition in both conference and Sectional, that will be a great battle as it plays out.

Blessing
We continue to pray that God will bless this team in many ways throughout this year.