Coaches Corner for October 26th: Shawn Latimer, Boone Girls Tennis

With us on coaches corner KWBG get a chance to put a season wrap on a boom girls tennis. Sean Latimer joining us and I'm gonna start at the end and kind of work our way back coach because What a fantastic and we knew it was all kind of coming to a head when it came to Individual and doubles and then we're obviously gonna have team state and it kind of feels like all of a sudden we have this Fairly longer season it felt like and then all of a sudden boom all the the good stuff starts coming and Boy oh boy Sean you go through the the singles obviously with Maya finishing as a runner-up And then we had our course doubles team with a fantastic finish to their season on into obviously this team state championship I don't know how you've slept the last couple weeks Yeah, you know, it's been it's been a long it's been a long grind for sure The last you know, there's everything just kind of hit so rapidly and then it's done I mean it's it's a really a wild feeling that you know everything's thrown in those last You know four or five days out of six and then yeah, it's definitely a tiring part But I think it's a tiring part for the girls as well too and and you just never know You know, we kind of knew we had a shot We were going to be doing well, but you just never know until you get out on the courts and see what happens Well, tell me first. Well, let's start with a pungchung chow rye and with what Maya was able to do and Being a state runner up you usually don't do this So I knew it must have been pretty darn good But when you told me this is an espn classic type match with her and Fleming in the final Sean like I said, usually don't use too many words like that unless this must have been a dang good match Tell me about those two battling. Yeah, you know, I've I've been around girls tennis for 20 years And and I don't think I've ever seen a match that was that high quality between two girls You know, usually a lot of times in the finals, you'll see somebody that's just amazingly Good and they're so much better than the second place and it's not a great match But these two just I mean it was unbelievable the rallies that they had And you know, I mean the whole crowd is just Owing and on on every little shot that they get to and they were just making balls that you just don't see You know in the one eighth girl's final ever and it was You know, definitely one of those matches that I could watch them a lot of times just to see how great that quality was And it was good to see that You had that high of a quality for a final because like I said a lot of times you don't have that in a final I mean, I don't think Gabby's been pushed hardly at all as in her freshman year I think she went to a tiebreaker. Maybe her first set but the last Two years she's been it's been 6 0 6 1 in the finals just hasn't been close So it was it was awesome to see, you know that type of a match up Well, and I think You lose to a girl who wins four times. I mean Sean that that's a heck of an accomplishment I guess what my question though is Um, how did you feel like Maya felt after that match was she still ready to go for team? Yeah, you know, I I think she was she was elated. I think you know It's always hard to lose obviously, but I think she was elated at how well she played and I think everybody was just how well The quality was of tennis because you just never know I mean, you know Gabby's you know a little bit better utr than Maya and you just never knew going in how it would How it would turn out but you know, I think there was a little disappointment But then I think the elation of how well you played and how everybody was like man, that was an amazing match I think really helped her get through even though she got second place Well, and then you had your doubles team and I thought they went on a really great run Tell me about that What did you think that they were playing and that level that they were at because Sean you lose a match at state sometimes that can kind of doom you it hasn't for those two Yeah, and you know we we got a tough draw in that second round where you know We had to play the the assumption team that ended up getting second And so you just you know and we took them to a tie brick and we won the first set and and we just kind of Just kind of ran a little bit out of gas. I think at the end against them But I mean looking back on that loss. It wasn't a bad loss. I mean they ended up You know Smoking the Pella team in the next round and then they took a set off of the state champions So I mean it was a you know pretty decent loss, you know I remember like to lose but that was a decent loss and then You know then they do have to come back right away that same day and that's always hard You know to try and get out of the funk and we you know played a waller team And we started off a little bit slow I think you know just we're a little bit of a funk and then they got through it and then The next day they were came and ready to go and then they easily you know took that fifth place Well, then that kind of sets up team state and you know going in is the number two seed You feel like Okay, this could be an opportunity to get to the final and let's just see what happens in the final I thought you played tremendous just to get to the final shawning and we'll get to the final here in just a second But I thought those first two rounds were pretty darn dominant Yeah, we you know we our draw was not easy We play a fairfield team that I think you know, maybe have been a little higher seeded than they were seeded They had won they hadn't dropped a match in in the regular season And they were I think 91 and 0 and matches and and to beat them 5 to 0 as Was a great accomplishment and you know, so we felt Really good about that. We got done so fast and and pep Pella and Spencer were playing we had to sit around for about You know two or three hours So you never know how that's going to go sometimes it's great to have the other team out in the It was hot that day So it was nice to have the other teams out there playing in the heat But you know, there's never no can you hopefully get going and we played some of our best tennis of the year against pella I mean and we came out and blitzed them and and that was a really nice win for them You know, especially down on their home courts and so that was a nice win to get to the finals So they were very excited that night about getting there and and doing what we did in the semis Sean, what was the game plan then going into the final? I know you want And I know you'll you'll joke about this with me and you and I can laugh about this and hopefully everybody knows that We're joking on this but you go into a final against a darn good team Or I think you're probably saying oh boy, it'd be nice if we could get to doubles and keep this thing pretty close That's not what happened though coach Yeah, you know, we we had we've talked about this a lot We got to Xavier, you know what it might look like what we needed to do to get out of singles and and You know, can we scrape together two or three wins here there and You know, we we played some of the best, you know singles probably of our year without a doubt, um, you know You know, they're winning four five and six pretty handily was outstanding and then then liby at three beats a girl that's You know, probably ranked higher quite a bit higher than her probably in the state and and to To beat her and you know, she you know, I don't think they Expected that at all so we're up for two after singles They were you know, obviously with having the state champion at one and their number two is probably She might have been the second or third, you know, best player in the state She was you know, she was a banger too So I mean those were some tough losses there at one and two but you know, three four five and six came through and Yeah, I don't know if anybody had that on her bingo card against Xavier being up four two But that was a nice spot to be in going into doubles Well, and I want to bring this up to Sean and this is nothing against Obviously coming up with a victory with uh with keel and schneider coming up with the But I mean you were ahead on your other two doubles matches Well, it was kind of the race to see who was going to clinch it to be honest Yeah, yeah, that was just amazing. You know, I you know, we I think we probably we played them all out We probably beat them seven to two and I don't think Xavier's been beat seven to two probably In one a probably for the last who knows how many years I you know They haven't hardly been beat in one a for the last three years So I mean to beat them in up seven and two and and you know, it was an awesome tiebreaker You know, kaley livy there at two doubles against gabby fleming who basically just tried to take over the whole match and Push her doubles partner aside and she was just trying to dominate and for them to win it and bring it home for us That was just uh, that was just an unbelievable feeling to have the two seniors that You know, it kind of started this whole whole group of girls back in 2020 You know, they were kind of the ones that were the catalyst to start everything and to you know To see them win it for us was just was an awesome way to do it But yeah, we were going to win three doubles easily and then I looked like one doubles Was probably going to come through as well in the tiebreaker. So yeah, we had a lot of options there Which you know, I wasn't sure that would be the case going into it Sean you you pick up a coaching championship in 1a and in 2a If you could put the dream match together who wins that? Oh, you know, I can't answer that There's no way I can answer that You know, I I think it would have been it would be fun to see both of them in their prime to see what Who would have won that matchup? But you know, they were kind of you know a kind of different teams a little bit You know my 2a championship they were A little bit more of a younger age They started up a lot younger and they kind of were You know tennis was kind of their jam and and this group here was just kind of a group We just started and a little more organic. So this one was kind of a nice one just to You know have some girls that maybe you know weren't thinking they were going to be tennis players And they all ended up being tennis players and to see it all come together in five years was just Absolutely amazing accomplishment Sean was there ever a sunday where you thought this could be a possibility? I know you got together on the sundays with these girls for a long time And would you call them scrubs or whatever you called your sunday group? But power chumps. We call there. There you go Power chumps and we called my first group back in the 2000s. We called them the power chumps, too I have somebody I can't remember who came up with that name, but it just kind of stuck And and you know We had great turnout this time this year and and the key is you know You get them kind of started and energized and at the younger age and then you hope they They go off and and and continue to work and that's what this group really did You know they all started going over the bubble with some of the pros over there and just started to enhance their game to that next level And and so you just hope you can get that you know desire in them and that was kind of the goal and and You know I knew this year was going to be the year where we had you know The seniors that kind of started it and the freshmen who were kind of bringing up the tail end of the chumps And and and so they were all together this year and and so this was kind of the circled year that we had so Sean I know you and I haven't dwelled on this we talked about I think we talked about this a couple years ago But I won't throw you under the bus too much We knew that the the the end was near you you were ready to to give the program up and you're ready to move on and Do some other things and you told me a couple times listen I know we might only play one meet a week But there's a lot of work that goes into everything and you were as you would say quote I'm getting tired and I think we totally understand that we totally You know appreciate all the time you put in but this was obviously going to be your last year I know you're going to miss it a little bit Sean But but what a legacy you have to look back at this to kind of scratch your head a little bit and go man We accomplished a lot Yeah, you know, I've been really blessed over the years of just having some great girls that you know Really want to work hard and and and push themselves to that next level and and that's always been the key is You know get them started and hopefully they you know want to you know use their enthusiasm continue to go but Yeah, you know, I've you know I'm retired next year from teaching. I kind of wanted to be around for the transition Um to the new coach next year and just kind of help out if if anything needs to be helped out before I decide where I'm going to end up my retirement years for the rest of my life So, yeah, this it's been a great run But I've you know, I've just been so blessed with girls that have been such hard workers and And I've continued to you know, enjoy the game of tennis and push hard Championships in two-way in 1a Sean if they would have told you back in the day that that that could be possible You would have laughed one of you Yeah, yeah, I wouldn't have thought that would have been possible But it's like I said, it's been a great run and and yeah, I will miss it a little bit But on my body probably won't miss it as much I've noticed the longer the mates go I'm like man It's getting harder on the body to be to be on the feet for eight to ten hours Some of those all day tournaments are kind of rough girls. Can we win this a little earlier is what you're telling me, right? We can we can we get it done faster, please? Well, Sean, thank you so much for for part one and part two of your coaching career We really appreciate everything and results and picks and you and I shooting the breeze when we talk back and forth tax It's always been a blast. I know you're a pretty humble dude And so this was not really easy to always do the coaches corners But I appreciate you always being available talking with us and congratulations on retirement Thanks, man. My pleasure. You bet. Sean latimer again joining a spoon girls tennis on coaches corner