LP_051718

46 | May 17, 2018 | The Lockport Legend Sports
lockportlegend.com
Porters’ Randall on brink of history in boys tennis
Top singles player looks
to be first southwest
suburbs state champ in
87 years
Erin Redmond, Freelance Reporter
For Jack Randall, it was love at
first swing.
The senior Lockport tennis player
first picked up a racquet at just 3
years old — and now he’s eying a
shot at making history.
Randall, the Porters’ No. 1 singles
player, is currently undefeated and
will likely be the No. 1 seed heading
to his final state tournament.
And if he wins, he’ll be the first
individual champion from the
southwest suburbs since the 1930-
1931 season, when Joliet Township’s
George “Jigger” Jones took
the crown.
Even with history looming overhead,
Randall said he’s putting no
pressure on himself to snap the 87-
year drought.
“My goal is definitely to try and
win state, but it’s my last year,”
the Porter said. “Winning state
would be awesome, but regardless
of whether or not I win state,
I’ll be happy with my high school
career.”
The title would be the cherry
on top of a stellar senior season.
Randall has already taken down
the toughest opponents in his area
to bolster an untarnished record
and has committed to Division
I Western Michigan University,
where he will continue his tennis
career.
While he has much to brag
about, Randall remains a humble,
quiet leader for his teammates.
He said he wants to leave an impression
on the younger Porters
so they continue to play at a high
level without him next season, and
they’ve had plenty to learn from.
And Randall knows all about
learning by example.
Practically from the time he
could walk, he watched his two
older brothers, Chad and Lucas,
dominate the court. In fact, it was
Jack Randall has committed to Western Michigan University, where he
hopes to win conference and help get the team to the NCAA Tournament
after he completes his high school playing career with the Porters.
during one of his brothers’ private
lessons that their coach asked a
3-year-old Jack if he would like to
give it a try, too.
“I said, ‘sure,’ and I’ve been
playing ever since,” Randall
said. “I never got tired of it. I
love every second of playing
tennis.”
And he’s pretty good at it, too.
Porters’ coach Bob Champlin
describes Jack as a “counterpuncher,”
a type of player who
will use his opponents’ pace
against them and put the pressure
on them.
“He can play all court, he can
cover the net,” Champlin said.
“His ground strokes are extremely
deep; if you look at the pros, the
pros’ [ground strokes] are within
a few feet of the baseline — and
he’s hitting really deep balls consistently.
That puts a lot of pressure
on the opponent.
“His skills are beyond any
player I’ve had, and any player
in this area, really. ... It’s fun,
because you get to see some really
high-level tennis that you
don’t typically see in high
school.”
From the time he stepped on the
court at Lockport, the tennis scene
took notice. Randall has qualified
for state every year, being named
Second Team All-State as a freshman,
finishing 13th as a sophomore
— in spite of an injury —
and fifth last season.
Lockport’s Jack Randall is the team’s No. 1 singles player and is hoping
for a top finish at state after finishing fifth there last season as a junior.
22nd Century Media File Photos
Even still, the mental aspect of
the game is a hurdle he needs to
overcome.
Confidence, he admits, has been
an issue, but he feels he has grown
both physically and mentally in
these last four seasons — as has
his confidence.
And being undefeated on the
season will do a number for it, too
— he just has to maintain it.
“He’s going to have to stay
positive,” Champlin said. “He
has a target on his back, because
he hasn’t lost, and he’s played the
best players. They’re going to be
preparing for him. He has to maintain
his composure. The momentum
will change in every match,
so he has to realize that’s going to
happen, keep using his strengths
and hold his ground.”
Randall said he knows the
stakes will be high for state but is
doing his best to remain calm. Besides,
he’ll have enough to worry
about in a few short months.
“I’m going to be a freshman
again, so I’m going to have to
prove myself,” he said. “I’m just
going to try and help Western
Michigan succeed and win conference
and get to the NCAA Tournament
— that’s the goal.”
The Illinois High School Association
boys tennis state tournament
will be held Thursday, May
24 through Saturday, May 26, at
Hersey High School in Arlington
Heights.