Julia Ritchey returns a shot against Marley Ratchford Julia Ritchey in the District 6 Class 2A Final.

By John Hartsock

jhartsock@altoonamirror.com

Disappointment and heartache can sometimes serve as the greatest motivation.

Last season, Central High School’s Julia Ritchey was visibly heartbroken after losing in the District 6 Class 2A girls tennis championship match in three sets to Central Cambria’s Marley Ratchford.

Ritchey used the setback as a learning experience, and worked extra hard to avoid having history repeat itself this fall.

“Marley is always good competition – it’s always a good battle when she and I play a match,” Ritchey said. “I didn’t want to feel pain (like last year) again. I worked very hard in the past year to be more consistent.”

All the time and effort put in Ritchey paid off Wednesday afternoon, when she avenged last year’s championship loss to Ratchford by posting a straight-set 6-3, 6-2 victory in the latest battle of the two outstanding high school seniors in the District 6 Class 2A title match held at the Summit Tennis and Athletic Club. Ritchey entered Wednesday’s championship match as the top seed in District 6 Class 2A, while Ratchford was seeded second.

Central Mountain’s top-seeded Addison Lindsay won the District 4-6 Class 3A girls championship match, 6-2, 6-0 over second-seeded Crosby Denis of Hollidaysburg in what was also a rematch of last season’s district singles title match.

Both Ritchey and Lindsay will now advance to state competition in their respective singles divisions Nov. 1-2 at the Hershey Racquet Club.

Ritchey and Central head coach Shaun Coppersmith both credited Ritchey’s strong serve and strong mental outlook for Wednesday’s victory.

“My serve was definitely a big factor, and it definitely helped me,” said Ritchey, who also won both matches that she played against Ratchford during the regular season. “And I think the mental part of my game has definitely improved. I have always been a little bit nervous before playing Marley,

but today, I just told myself that this is just another tennis match, and to go out and play my match.”

Coppersmith echoed Ritchey’s assessments.

“Julia works very hard, and her hard work has set a great example for the other players on her team,” Coppersmith said. “Last year, Marley got the better of Julia in the championship match, but none of the little stuff that got to Julia last year gets to her now.”

Ratchford, who will join her Central Cambria teammate Lydia Paskowski in a bid to win the District 6 Class 2A girls doubles championship next week, said that her matches with Ritchey have always been intense.

“Going into today, I had lost to her twice this season, so I tried not to get too nervous about today’s match,” Ratchford said. “We’ve played each other several times now, and the matches have been very competitive. Julia is a great player.”

Central Cambria coach Kristin Cavalier credited Ritchey for a great effort and a well-deserved championship victory, but also pointed out that Ratchford was battling a respiratory ailment that left her at less than 100 percent efficiency Wednesday.

“Julia is a great player, and she deserves credit for winning this championship today, but Marley has been sick for awhile and had trouble breathing today,” Cavalier said. “That’s not an excuse – it’s just stating that Marley wasn’t at her best today.”

Central Cambria’s Lindsay was again at her best, beating Hollidaysburg’s Denis in the District 4-6 Class 3A girls singles championship match for the second straight year in what was a matchup of outstanding sophomores.

Lindsay is a returning PIAA Class 3A singles runner-up, and the odds-on favorite to win the singles title at Hershey in early November.

“She’s a fantastic kid,” Central Mountain coach Tom Zettle said of Lindsay. “As her coach, I’ve basically been handed the keys to a Ferrari and told not to wreck it. She lives, eats and breathes tennis. She just does what she does every match, and moves on to the next one.”

Lindsay said that it took some time to get herself acclimated to the indoor court Wednesday, but she adjusted fairly quickly.

“This court is a little bit different than the normal outdoor court, but it was a great experience playing here, and (Denis) played really well,” Lindsay said. “I enjoyed this match. It was fun.”

Denis, who will join Hollidaysburg teammate Grace Muriceak next week in their bid to win the District 4-6 Class 3A girls doubles title, is also a defending District 6 girls champion in golf.

Denis – who teamed with the since graduated Megan Ferris to win the District 6 Class 4-6 Class 3A doubles championship last season — said that Lindsay is an outstanding singles opponent.

“She’s just insanely good,” Denis said. “She’s so consistent, and I’m really proud of how I played today, winning two games against her. She finished second in state singles last year, and with her ability, I think that she will win it all this year. I will focus on doubles tennis and golf now.”

Hollidaysburg coach Brian Denis – Crosby’s father – gave appropriate kudos to Lindsay, but also credited his daughter for a good effort in this year’s singles tournament as well.

“Addison is a once-in-a-lifetime player – probably the best player in District 6 as a sophomore, and she made the singles state final last year as a freshman,” Brian Denis said. “But I’m really proud of Crosby, too. She had a real good win in (Tuesday’s) semifinals, and her schedule this fall between golf and tennis has been pretty insane.

“Crosby is a defending District 6 doubles champion and we have that to look forward to,” Brian Denis added. “Hopefully she can make it to states again in doubles this year.”

District 4-6 Class 3A championship

Addison Lindsay, Central Mountain, def. Crosby Denis, 6-2, 6-0.

District 6 Class 2A championship

Julia Ritchey, Central, def. Marley Ratchford, Central Cambria, 6-3, 6-2.