EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School boys tennis coach Dave Lipe is a man who never has a lack of words, but he was so moved by the first-place state finish by Alex Gray-Zach Trimpe, that he could barely describe how much it meant to the Tigers’ program.
Lipe had to turn over the coaching reigns to assistant Paul Stewart over the final days of the state tournament because he was requested as a reader at the EHS graduation this past Saturday.
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“I am still kind of in the state of shock,” he said after he learned of their finish. “It is such a huge event and it’s just overwhelming and feels a little bit surreal to be completely honest. These boys are awesome tennis players and today was just another example of what these guys have done. They were undefeated in the postseason. We have never experienced anything like this in the last two decades.”
Coach Lipe said his two boys overcame considerable adversity to bring home the title. Even in the championship match, the boys prevailed in a third-set tiebreaker.
“The boys had to be emotionally strong to bring home the championship,” he said. “You have to have both emotional and physical strength in those types of situations.”
The coach said Gray and Trimpe are the perfect doubles combination and are also good friends off the court, which seems to enhance their game. The two have played tennis together since an early age and the years of tennis workouts have paid off in a big way. Both will likely land large school scholarships. Gray is a junior and Trimpe a sophomore.
Gray said the whole experience with Trimpe was unforgettable, something he will remember forever.
“It felt great to make history capturing the first EHS tennis title,” he said. “No one from Southern Illinois has won in doubles in years and it definitely feels amazing,” Gray said of the championship. “We didn’t win it for just our team or our school, but this whole region of Illinois. We will be back next year and we will go for it again.”
“There is such great competition in Illinois,” Trimpe said. “To win a state title in Illinois wasn’t an easy road. It was a big confidence boost winning that close one in the quarterfinals. We showed we can win in the long run, dig deep and grind it out against our opponents. I think our ability to manage our emotions was the key. We already had the tennis skills, but when you are the No. 1 seed you are expected to win and stay out there. People expect you to play on a whole other level.”
John Powless of Flora was the last person to win a singles championship from Illinois in 1951. In 1928, a team from Greenville won the state tennis doubles title.
Coach Lipe praised Coach Stuart for his help and thought he did a magnificent job working with the boys at state.
“I can’t thank Coach Stuart enough for what he did,” Lipe said. 
