Ben Etzell teamed with Aaron Curtin to play their best tennis of the season Tuesday, winning a district doubles title. (John Fisken photo)
Swinging a racket instead of a bat, the Coupeville High School duo of junior Aaron Curtin and senior Ben Etzell knocked off Langley’s finest Tuesday to win a district tennis title.
Now they, along with Wolf sophomore Sebastian Davis, who finished second on the singles side of the draw, advance to quad-districts in Seattle Oct. 29.
“All in all it was a good day,” said Coupeville coach Ken Stange, who was particularly thrilled to see his top doubles duo play their finest tennis at a key moment.
“They hit balls faster than they ever had before; I would not have wanted to play them today,” Stange said. “They knew what they wanted, and they did what was necessary to make it so.
“I’ve had many players who have wanted to win, but I’ve never had players who wanted it as much as Ben and Aaron,” he added. “They did it convincingly, and they did it as a single entity, not as a team. I’ve played some memorable tennis on this island and I’ve watched plenty of talented players step up to the challenge, but this was a special tennis day.”
The victory was even sweeter since it denied Island arch-rival South Whidbey the title on its home court. The Falcons had swept the Wolves in all three team matches this season, though Curtin and Etzell were 2-1 in those losses.
Davis, who was a surprise qualifier for districts as a freshman, returned and won his first postseason match before falling in the championship bout.
Fellow singles player Dalton Martin, a first-year player as a sophomore, bounced a player from Friday Harbor, while the duo of senior Brian Norris and junior Kyle Bodamer pushed South Whidbey’s top team to a full three sets.
Complete results:
Doubles:
Aaron Curtin/Ben Etzell beat Campbell Albertson/Nathan Riley (SW) 6-0, 6-7(3-7), 6-1
Brian Norris/Kyle Bodamer lost to Jack Hood/Jonathan Peterson (SW) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
Norris/Bodamer lost to Hills/Xu (FH) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Etzell/Curtin beat Hood/Peterson 6-1, 6-3
Singles:
Dalton Martin beat Bruce Yao (FH) 6-0, 6-0
Martin lost to Charley Stelling (SW) 6-0, 6-1
Sebastian Davis beat Andy Zisette (SW) 6-2, 6-4
Martin lost to Chris Pyles (Meridian) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
Davis lost to Stelling (SW) 6-0, 6-1
Coupeville Sports 
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