When the Ashtabula County Boys Tennis Coach of the Year award was presented, Renee Mattson said she couldn't lie.
“I never thought this would happen,” the Edgewood coach said with a laugh.
But after the season the Warriors had last spring, she may now feel a little differently.
Mattson, who has guided both Edgewood's boys and girls tennis programs for the past decade, has been named Boys Coach of the Year for the 2024 season, as approved by the county coaches. It is the first time she has been named as a recipient of the award.
It's a big surprise and a great honor, Mattson said. I am very honored and grateful that my colleagues want to vote for me.
In recent years, the province's tennis scene has typically been dominated by Geneva and Saint John, but the Warriors threw a spanner in the works that season.
Edgewood posted an 11-2 record this season.
They placed third at the all-county tournament when Noah Vencill took second place in the first singles match.
A few weeks later, the Warriors came back to defeat the Eagles and take first place for the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division title.
Edgwood also defeated Geneva in a duel to secure CVC Lake outright.
For a program that wasn't used to much success, 2024 provided a nice turnaround.
The season was absolutely fantastic, Mattson said. The boys were super motivated. They were practicing and working on their game seven days a week. My assistant coach [Louis Murphy Jr.] was a big help with that. He was very motivated to go out and help.
Mattson said she was blessed to have a group of players who have been part of the Edgewood program since their days in high school. This season, the work they have put in has paid off.
Vencill went 14-2 en route to winning County Co-Player of the Year and CVC Lake Most Valuable Player awards.
At second singles, Robbie DiGiacomo was 9-3, while Vinnie DeGeorge checked 12-2 in the third singles spot.
Several other players have been solid for the Warriors this season.
Vencill, who will be a senior this fall, said the success Edgewood experienced this season had its roots a few years ago.
When I was a freshman, the seniors graduating this year set some sort of goal for all of us, he said. We all pushed each other to our limits and made sure we exceeded our expectations.
The work and dedication of the Warriors boys team began to pay off last year when DeGeorge and DiGiacomo qualified for the Division II district tournament as a doubles team.
They became the first Edgewood players to play in a district tournament in at least a decade, if not ever.
With more players on the horizon and Vencill returning for his senior season, Mattson is looking forward to another season with high expectations.
Oh absolutely, she said. In the past, it was especially difficult to get boys motivated to play. But over the last two to three years with this group of guys, they're just crazy motivated to go after it and they're really doing it.
