Wilder Dewhirst (right) and doubles partner Alex Juergens commemorate their Division II-A doubles championship during the 2021 Spring Fling in Murfreesboro. (Photo: Dave Link)
By DAVE LINK
Wilder Dewhirst has no regrets when he looks back on his sophomore season with the Webb School of Knoxville tennis team.
Why would he?
Dewhirst played No. 1 singles as the Spartans advanced to the championship match of the Division II-A state team tournament on May 26.
Two days later, Dewhirst teamed with Alex Juergens and won the state doubles championship.
Since 1979, CBRC has held rank as one of the South’s premier tennis facilities, with 10 spacious indoor courts, complete with vaulted ceilings and full lighting, 5 outdoor hard courts, and 9 outdoor clay courts- all of which have full outdoor lighting, audience seating, and are meticulously kept by CBRC staff.
“It was unbelievable,” said Dewhirst, the 5Star Preps Boys’ Player of the Year. “I had such an amazing time with my teammates. We fought every match. It was really humbling to see everyone fighting for the same goal the whole year.”
Dewhirst won his singles match in three sets in the state team final – a 4-3 loss to Nashville’s Christ Presbyterian Academy – but the Spartans trailed 3-2 after singles. He and Juergens won their match at No. 1 doubles, but CPA clinched the title with a win at No. 2 doubles.
It wasn’t Dewhirst’s first trip to state.
As an eighth grader, Dewhirst played No. 3 singles at state behind Ohm Sharma and Harrison Williams when the Spartans won the 2019 team championship with a 4-2 victory over Christian Academy of Knoxville in the final. He and Sharma clinched the win over CAK by winning at No. 2 doubles.
“Wilder’s been with us since he was in eighth grade,” Webb coach Jimmy Pitkanen said. “He’s always had a strong serve and a big forehand, but really what set Wilder apart more than anything is how he led the team from that No. 1 position because of the amount of effort that he would pour into every match. He really showed the kids how to excel and achieve when they were playing matches.”
Pitkanen said Dewhirst’s calmness under pressure was crucial in the state doubles championship when he and Juergens beat University School of Jackson’s Jack Wilkerson and Tristan Scallion 7-5, 6-3.
“They did great,” Pitkanen said of the doubles team. “They really bonded well, but Wilder had a very, very calming effect throughout the whole match, and he was also very intense, but very relaxed. He brought the intense focus, but he kept being relaxed and never let the situation get out of hand.”
For Dewhirst, it was an ideal ending to his sophomore season.
“It was really special because I really wanted to win it with my partner,” Dewhirst said. “We had a good year together. We had lost very few matches as a team, and I really, really wanted to help him win the title.”
He is taking a unique breather from tennis this summer.
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From June 25 to July 8, Dewhirst went on a two-week adventure/service camp in Hawaii, helping in communities and botanical gardens. He and 11 other high-school students — five boys and seven girls, all strangers to each other before the trip — lived in tents for the two weeks, also spending time scuba diving and snorkeling. They weren’t allowed to have cell phones for almost the entire time.
“I’ve always loved the outdoors,” Dewhirst said, “but I had never fully gone on a camping trip for a long time, and I wanted to try something new and meet new people. This was like an opportunity that showed up, so I was like, ‘Why not?’ and I had the best time doing it.”
After the Hawaii experience, Dewhirst spent a week in Wyoming with his family and a friend, fly fishing and hiking. He practiced some tennis while in Wyoming before returning home to prepare for his first tournament in late July.
He has goals in mind.
“I do believe I would like to play college tennis if the opportunity presents itself,” Dewhirst said. “But I’m doing one year at a time and I’m very excited to play for Jimmy again next year. I’m super stoked and I’m ready.”