Faith Academy team tennis is state champs

CAPTION: The 2025 Faith Academy of Marble Falls team tennis squad is the 2025 Schmall School state champions of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. The team includes Halley Offutt (front row, left), Emerson Price, Alyana Reyes, Ella Lewis, Kate Green; assistant coach Aland Price (back row, left), Luke Patterson, Witten Reinert, Jadyn Jenkins, Colten Lane, Hudson Tatum, Case Tatum and head coach Rich Coleman. Courtesy photo

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls team tennis squad is the Class 2A small school state champion of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.

“I’m so thankful we have a culture where kids want to play,” head coach Rich Coleman said.

In TAPPS team tennis, squads play for five points. Two boys doubles and two girls doubles matches are played followed by two boys and two girls singles matches. If the each team is tied after those matches conclude, a mixed doubles match is played to decide the head-to-head winner.

The Flames and Lady Flames, however, didn’t need any of that.

Faith defeated Ambleside School of Fredericksburg in the championship 5-1, San Angelo Christian 9-0, Lubbock Kingdom Prep 7-1 and Fredericksburg Heritage 5-1 all in pool play.

“My understanding is their only sports are golf and tennis,” Coleman said. “So all their players, that’s all they focus on. And they’re very good. They all get a lot of individual instruction. In Fredericksburg their coach is a great tennis pro. And so their girls team, especially, was very competitive. So our girls held on and played well there.” 

Coleman noted that while the Flames and Lady Flames lost a couple of matches in pool play, the other matches were close.

“They were all nail biters. We just happened to win them all,” he said. “We played Heritage School of Fredericksburg, which is a well renowned TAPPS school. They’re successful in everything. And they were very good. We actually played them during the season this year, so we knew what to expect and we won against them. Also five points to one but again, it was close matches.” 

The Faith team includes returners Luke Patterson, Witten Reinert, Halley Offutt, Emerson Price, Alyana Reyes, Ella Lewis and Kate Green and newcomers Jadyn Jenkins, Colten Lane, Hudson Tatum, Case Tatum. Every Lady Flame is a returning letterman, who won the Class 3A girls state title last spring. Patterson and Reinert are returning lettermen who helped the Flames finish third in the boys state tournament in the spring.

Coleman, who took over the program a year ago, noted the newcomers have given the team more depth.

“They all came to Faith this year, all from (public) schools, and they’re all very good players,” he said. “Colten Lane is a senior; he came from Lago Vista. He was a very competitive player there, so he played against Marble Falls and all those teams. He’s playing football right now, so he’s a multi-sport athlete. He’s playing football and tennis this fall, which is difficult, but he’s done a good job. We have Jadyn Jenkins. He’s from Johnson City. He’s a sophomore. Also, he’ll be a great addition for the basketball team this year. We have the two brothers: Case Tatum, who’s a senior, and Hudson Tatum, a sophomore. They moved here from Bellville.”

To help his athletes prepare for playing that many matches in two days, Coleman said the Flames and Lady Flames played Boerne Geneva, Austin Hyde Park and Marble Falls and practiced during the hottest times of a day.

“Our players had to realize you gotta sit between matches, get rest and pace yourself throughout the day,” he said. “Some players played four or five different matches in one day. So that was a good test to get us ready for state. It’s a marathon, and you have to last a whole day.

He also credited assistant coaches Cedric Griffin, who created a fitness program for the netters that he put them through weekly, and Aland Price, who owns Lakecliff Racquet Club in Spicewood where the team practices.

“Some of the players took advantage of that,” Coleman said. “So instead of playing tennis one day, we’d go and lift weights and do some calisthenics work. So that was a help. The school’s done a great job propping itself up as a place to be and kids come here, and tennis has just been a byproduct of that where we’ve had great transfers and also the facilities. Just having a facility with seven courts, and there’s a tennis professional out there that helps us. we have great resources that you know, keeps the program going strong.” 

With the team tennis season wrapped up, the program looks to add more titles in the spring.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” Coleman said. “We have 40 kids signed up between middle school and high school and the whole program now, and so we’re really focusing on creating something sustainable, where we want the middle school and the young high school kids to stay excited. Even though they’re not competing at district or state yet, we want to really foster a good culture and really just throughout Faith Academy. Having one successful sports program helps the other ones. A rising tide lifts all the boats where everyone wants to be successful.”

TAPPS added team tennis last year.