Harts to believe this trip

Sitting on the blue stone steps separating the two levels of courts at Sterling High School after the NCIC meet, Michael Harts reached the personal low point of his season.

After losing a tough second-round match to Ottawa's Alex Fleshman, Harts was upset in the third-place match by Geneseo's Jacob Wyffels.

"He just beat me, and it was as simple as that," Harts said. "I've really learned this season that every time you step on the court in this area that the guy across from you can beat you."

It was the low point, but it was not match point. In fact, it was only the latest in the series of points that led to last weekend's sectional in Moline and this weekend's state tennis meet on the District 214 Courts at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.

Before Friday, Harts had twice participated in the sectional at Moline, and twice Harts was turned away a match short of advancing to state. Last Friday, Harts moved past the qualifying match to the second day of the sectional, where he once again locked horns with Geneseo's Wyffels. Harts took care of business 6-1, 6-0 to place third.

"I learned after conference that you have to bounce back," Harts said. "I could have easily said to myself that he beat me, so he'll probably beat me again. Tennis is a mental game. You have to forget the tough matches because it will make you're life a lot easier."

Harts was not the only one relieved that he became the first Warrior since Nate Chattic in 2000 to advance to state as an individual. His coach and father Larry Harts watched from the sideline.

"I was in a meeting today (Monday) with Sterling's athletic director, Bruce Scheidegger, and my fellow coach John Underwood, and we were talking about Michael going to state," Larry Harts said. "It was then that it just hit me. Man, Michael is going to state. After being so close the last two years, it was just an amazing feeling."

Now Harts enters the point of no return. State is a place he's never even seen, much less played in.