Shown, from left to right are Sydney and Hannah Dattilo, Avalon, Noah and Nicholas Langley, Haylee and Audree Duncan.
photo by Crystal Dattilo
For East Hamilton tennis, it’s the new millennium’s version of the late 1970s TV sitcom “Eight is Enough” or the movie “Yours, Mine and Ours”.
Three sets of siblings are represented on coach Michael Jackson’s teams from 1-7 in singles and all played and won Friday in district matches with Bradley Central.
With no seniors on either team and both squads looking to be a factor in who wins the district team title in early May, the future for ‘Canes tennis is bright.
“We have good chemistry on our teams, good leadership from our top players (Hannah Dattilo and Tucker Kelly) and everyone supports each other,” said coach Jackson.
A senior class president elect (2015-16) who thinks studying French is cool, a brother who suffered a severe brain concussion during football practice and then relied on his family and teachers for strength and encouragement during recovery while missing school and sitting in the dark for six weeks, sisters who have made all As - yes, folks since first grade – and also are raising money for cancer research in animals.
So let’s meet the cast of characters.
The Dattilos:
Hannah (Jr.) plays No.1 singles (11-0) and doubles, thinks French is cool, is the 2016 senior class president, is vice president of Math Club and is headed to the prestigious Governor’s School in Memphis this summer.
Sydney (8th) plays No.2 singles and No.1 doubles with her sister, enjoys art and says moving to Tennessee from Texas in the fourth grade changed her life for the best (has made lots of great friends).
The sisters play tennis year ‘round and recognize the value of playing summer USTA tournaments against strong competition is key to their tennis success during the spring season.
The Duncans:
Audree and Haylee have never made a letter grade below an A – ever. Math comes relatively easy for Audree, but tough for Haylee. The family dog, a boxer, is named Lennox (maybe after former world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis) and has been diagnosed with cancer. The Duncans have designed t-shirts with a photo of Lennox on the front with proceeds going to cancer research for animals
Lennox’s Bucket List: The sisters have written out his bucket list which has included dinner at Champions Chicken, and a family picnic lunch with a cousin’s dog.
Audree (So.) enjoys math, is a member of the color guard in the school band during football season and in the school band.
Haylee (Fr.) likes to write and enjoys English … and with straight As and in a few years could write her own ticket to a top college where she could develop her writing skills … says math is her toughest subject … is also a member of the band and chorus.
The Langleys:
Nick (Jr.) suffered a brain concussion in pre-season football practice in August 2013 prior to the start of this school year. He literally had to stay in a darkened bedroom for six weeks as part of the recovery process and eventually caught up with his homework assignments, returned to school by the end of September and completed the semester with straight A’s.
“I had him in my Spanish class last year and he did a great job of doing his work at home for those few weeks and made an A in the course,” said coach Jackson.
Nick sees German has his toughest but favorite course, is taking AP Chemistry and aced Honors Chemistry and Biology last year.
“The support of my family and the great cooperation I received from my teachers and counselors at East Hamilton is what got me through the recovery period after the concussion,” said Langley.
Noah (So.) takes Honors Algebra II, used to play soccer, but likes to change to an individual sport and enjoys the mental aspects, challenges and strategy necessary to succeed in tennis.
Avalon (8th) and Sydney Dattilo are the two eighth graders in coach Jackson’s lineup, views math as a her toughest subject, plays the flute and enjoys English and reading.
Upcoming Matches: A busy week of tennis as the ‘Canes are scheduled to play Signal Mountain (Monday), Walker Valley (Tuesday) and Ooltewah (Wednesday at home) before the district singles and doubles tournament May 4-5 at Ooltewah.