RHS Boys' Tennis
Reid and Morque Finalists in State Championships And Section One Champions for Second Year

– By Rye Record staff –

Sometimes the encore is the best part of the show. That was the case with the repeat performance of Rye High School's Peter Reid and Kelly Morque at the 2007 New York State High School Tennis Championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing last week and their second consecutive victory as Section One Doubles Champions in Greenburgh May 24.  While the pair reached the state quarterfinals last year, making their mark as the first Rye boys to advance to States in 10 years, this time, they set a new record as the first Rye boys doubles players to reach a State Final in more than 20 years.

Last year, Reid said over and over again that he couldn't believe they made it to States, a dream-come-true during his six years on the Rye varsity team. This year, the Duke-bound senior and sophomore Morque wished the final match scores were reversed to give Rye the ultimate title, yet both felt they played well in the tournament.

The pair steamrolled through the competition, showcasing their talents with a dazzling display of sharp volleys, aggressive overheads and strong serves that surprised and bewildered their opponents. “They seemed to get better every time they played,” said coach Sue Dickson. Yet by the final match, the sparks and flames simmered and the eventual winners from Harley-Allendale-Columbia took the upper hand, 6-4, 6-2. “They kept up the momentum and never missed a shot,” said Reid.

Reid and Morque were the only doubles team seeded in the state tournament. With Reid still recovering from a bronchial virus, which kept him off the courts for nearly a week, the first round of the tournament was challenging as they faced a fired-up team from Plainview. After winning the first set easily, the Garnets ran out of steam in the second set, losing 6-4. Fortunately, they came back on board, taking control of the net to win the third set 6-0.  The match proved to be a good tune-up for their next opponents from Orchard Park, whom they defeated 6-2, 6-3.

In the quarterfinals, a pair from Cardozo didn't stand a chance against Reid and Morque, who dominated 6-1, 6-0 in less than an hour. The Garnets then celebrated a 6-4, 6-3 victory over a tough team from Half Hollow Hills East to reach the finals. “We played really well in the semifinals," said Morque. "Overall, it was great going to States again and winning the Section with Peter for the past two years.”

The road to States was a long one, starting on somewhat of a shaky note in the division tournament in mid-May at Harrison High School. After an easy win, the Garnets couldn't get it together against Keio, who clinched the division title. This loss robbed Reid and Morque of seeding in the Sectionals the following week in Greenburgh. Yet, the seeding didn't matter in the long run because Reid and Morque faced the same Keio pair again, but won the next time in straight sets. They also defeated Irvington and Edgemont before a dramatic final against an unseeded team from Horace Greeley where the Garnets won in a tiebreaker in the third set with an unbelievable drop shot by Morque on match point.

It was another eventful year for Rye tennis with accomplishments that had not been reached since Charlie Vestner and partner Michael Sampson reached the State Finals more than 20 years ago, losing in a close three-set match. Reid and Morque were honored at the Section One dinner in Hastings May 30, along with teammate and No. 3 singles player Garrett DeBease, who earned the Coach's Award.