Team tennis: Permian pulls out third-place Petroplex finish

Zack Webster thought the best thing he could do for his future was focus on academics and making a little money, so he put his passion — tennis — on the backburner.

Webster told Permian head coach Mary Kay Mann early this summer that he would not be playing tennis his senior year, a decision he stuck with through the first week in August.

But Webster couldn’t quite shake his desire to get on the court and asked Mann and the Permian players if he could return.

They sure were glad he was around Saturday, when his 7-5, 7-5 victory at No. 6 boys singles earned Permian a 10-9 victory against Flower Mound High for a third-place finish in the Petroplex Team Tennis Invitational.

“I’m so happy and glad I came back,” Webster said. “Tennis really is my life and it’s because I love the game so much that I did come back.”

Permian advanced to the semifinals Friday with a 10-9 victory against Wichita Falls that was finished with a victory by Webster at No. 6 boys singles.

On Saturday morning, San Angelo Central knocked off Permian 10-7 before falling to Lubbock Coronado 10-2 in the championship match.

That put Permian in the third-place match against Flower Mound, with its vaunted girls lineup pulling off a sweep in all nine of its matches.

“It’s a big deal because we didn’t do very good last week as a team and we kind of stepped it up and won a couple of matches that we tough,” said Permian junior Carrie Lasater, who plays No. 4 girls singles and No. 2 girls doubles. “Even when people did lose it was a tough match. I think everyone fought really hard and they’re ready to keep getting better and better.”

With Flower Mound winning the mixed doubles, even a sweep of the nine girls matches wasn’t enough to deliver Permian to victory.

The dual was tied 8-8 when Courtney Carlson won at No. 6 girls singles to put Permian ahead 9-8. Andrew Crain at No. 4 boys singles and Webster at No. 6 were still on court to decide the team result, and Crain lost a tough three-setter to tie the dual 9-9.

That meant Webster had to win or Flower Mound and head coach Brad Wikse — a Permian graduate — would take third place.

But Webster rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the first set and battled for his, and the team’s, victory.

“The guys, we’ve got to step up and win and it’s not just me,” Webster said. “If I wasn’t looking at these other guys wanting it just as bad as I did, I probably wouldn’t have gotten it. But looking at Andrew next to me busting his butt out there made me want it more.”

Odessa High, after losing twice on Friday, bounced back to beat El Paso Eastwood 14-5 and Hobbs 15-4 to finish 13th.

The Bronchos got strong efforts from their girls to beat Eastwood and then a balanced effort against Hobbs.