O-R Athlete of the Week: Jacob Patterson, South Fayette
Name: Jacob Patterson
School: South Fayette
Class: Senior
Sport: Tennis
Patterson’s week: Patterson won his second straight WPIAL Class 3A tennis title last week.
Patterson defeated Trey Davidson from North Allegheny in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0 at the Pure Athletex Sportsplex.
Last year, Patterson defeated Colin Gramley of Shady Side Academy 7-5, 6-3 in the individual finals at North Allegheny High School to win the gold medal.
“Out of the whole tournament, this was my best match. I played my best tennis,” Patterson said after the win.
Davidson was hurt the most by Patterson’s scorching serves, which have been clocked in the 80s.
“My serves were very good,” Patterson said.
Despite a brisk wind at Bethel Park High School that affected his toss, Patterson dominated the competition. He lost just two games en route to reaching the finals.
After beating Justin Novotney of Hempfield, 10-0, and Moon’s Anthony Louder, 10-1, in the opening rounds, Patterson downed Central Catholic’s Kyle Broadhurst, 6-0, 6-1, in the semifinals on April 12.
Moving in: The championship matches were moved indoors because of the threat of storms on April 13 and the fact that most schools recessed the following day for the Passover/Easter holiday break.
“We played (the earlier rounds) outside so it was a pretty big adjustment to go inside,” said Patterson, who prefers to play outside as long as there is no wind.
“Trey is a very good player and I knew I had to adjust. Every ball was going to come back really hard and fast. So you had to be prepared.”
Domination: Patterson has been playing competitive tennis since age 6. To reach the WPIAL tournament, Patterson won the Section 4 singles title. He lost only one game in four matches.
“Jacob brought his complete game. There wasn’t any area in which he was ailing,” said South Fayette coach Brian Garlick. “Jacob was phenomenal. He brought his best game.”
Patterson plays year round. His backhand is his best shot. He plays outdoors from late March to October then heads indoor.
Thanks to his WPIAL triumph, Patterson earned a return trip to the state championships. The PIAA singles tournament will be held May 27-28 at the Hershey Racquet Club.
Last year, Patterson reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
Compiled by Joe Tuscano