2021 SUN Preps All-Area Athletes & Teams
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Page 50 www.yoursun.com First Team Nikolas Frost (Port Charlotte senior) Frost came to the United States from England prior to the start of the school year and slid easily into the Pirates' No. 1 spot. His best match was his second win against Lemon Bay. Off the court, he earned an academic scholarship to Rhode Island. Matthew Hutcherson (Lemon Bay senior) The Mantas' lone senior moved up from No. 2 and went 9-3 as the team's top seed. His most exciting match was a three-set affair with Charlotte's Tyler Olby, which Hutcherson prevailed 10-8 in the tiebreak. Hector Torres (North Port junior) If there was a grit award, Torres would get it. On a team with no real No. 1, he played the position and took his lumps. In a memorable match against Charlotte, he dropped 9 consecutive games, but forced a third-set tiebreak while being sick. Marcos Villafuerte (DeSoto County sophomore) Villafuerte quickly established a knack for coming from behind, including a big win against Hardee. He finished the season with a 10-2 singles record and went 9-1 in doubles. Tyler Olby (Charlotte senior) The Tarpons' lone returning top 5 player from last year's team, Olby led a thin squad by example, going 6-3, including a win against North Port. SUN PREPS ALL-AREA BOYS TENNIS TEAM Player of the year Ryan Rajakar (Venice senior) A two-time state runner-up in doubles and a key part of Venice's 2019 state champion, Rajakar is headed to Florida Southern in the fall to continue his tennis career. RAJAKAR By PATRICK OBLEY SPORTS WRITER I t was a year of extreme youth for the area high school tennis teams. Combined with nearly a full season off following the coronavirus pandemic that shut down the 2020 season, all bets were off when it came to predicting success or failure in 2021. In the end, Lemon Bay emerged as the area's most successful school in boys and girls tennis as both squads won district titles. The Venice girls also took home a district crown and matched the Manta girls by reaching their respective region finals before bowing out of the postseason. If there was a theme to this year's Daily Sun All-Area boys and girls tennis teams, it's that old chestnut about youth being served. On the boys' side, seniors held serve among the finalists — Venice's Ryan Rajakar, Lemon Bay's Matthew Hutcherson and Port Charlotte's Nikolas Frost – but many of the names on this year's first and second teams will be familiar for years to come. The girls all-area first team has a distinct Venice-Lemon Bay flavor to it. Finalists Nicole Cierniak of Venice and Lemon Bay's Jordan Shirley were joined on first team by Nika DeLong (Venice) and Marie L'Abbe (Lemon Bay). All four will return next season. Shirley and L'Abbe are juniors while Cierniak is a sophomore and DeLong is a freshman. Speaking of freshmen — Mila Djurich also earned fi- nalist honors for her breakout season at North Port. She, too, is just a ninth-grader. Seniors hold serve, but youth excels SUN FILE PHOTO BY PATRICK OBLEY Port Charlotte No. 1 singles player Nikolas Frost returns a serve in a match at Charlotte High. SEE BOYS TENNIS, 50