Plano West back in the state tournament
PLANO, Texas (BVM) — The Plano West Wolves tennis team is back in the state tournament. It is the team’s 17th time in the state tournament since Coach Morgen Walker took over.
Walker recently won his 500th career match as head coach, but he isn’t ready to be done with this season just yet.
“The goal for the team is to win a state championship,” Walker said. “For me personally, I love to see these kids improve over the course of the season. I love to see the growth and the maturity in the kids as tennis players. And the fact we are successful on the court as a team is icing on the cake.”
Plano West defeated Southlake Carroll 10-2 in the regional finals to move on to the state semifinals. Walker’s squad will match up against The Woodlands High School, a team they defeated in the semifinals last year.
Congratulations to the Plano West Tennis team as they win regionals and head to state! https://t.co/J0CsfRFZCj
— Plano West SHS (@PWSHWolves) October 25, 2021
“[It’s] a new year, [a] new team [and] different chemistry. All those factors come into play,” Walker said. “[But] we’re ready for them.”
In 12 years, the Wolves have made it to the state tournament 11 times. But in the last two seasons the Wolves have come up short in the state finals. They’ll aim to change that this week.
“It blows my mind that I’ve been at this that long,” Walker said. “You’ve got to have players that trust in you and [that] trust the system in play and that are willing to buy into what you’re trying to get done. And when you have that, good things are going to happen.”
That trust has been amplified this year. The athletes that make up the Plano West tennis team now were in middle school the last time the Wolves won a state championship.
“For them, to win one, [I think will be special],” Walker said. “When they look back on high school and someone asks, ‘What do you remember about high school?’ one of the first things I expect them to say, if they win a state title is, ‘I was a state champion.’”
It truly has been a special season for the Plano West tennis team (19-1 overall record). And this week, the Wolves will aim to put the cherry on top of this season.
