Norton tennis shoes

NORTON — Not only did this year’s Norton High School boys tennis team accomplish its top goal this season, but the team also made a little bit of school history along the way, said head coach Phil Seenes.

In 2014, the team finished with a 16-0 overall record, including a 12-0 mark in league play, and Seenes said the returning Portage Trail Conference (PTC) champions entered this season with one primary goal in mind.

“Our goal this year was to win the league title once again, ” he said.

After finishing the regular season with a 14-4 record — including another unbeaten 12-0 run in the PTC — Norton won the 2015 overall PTC championship and the league tournament.

“[This year’s team has] matched my expectations and goals, ” Seenes said. “Our goal was to win another league title and they accomplished that. This was our fourth consecutive PTC title. It’s the first time in school history that any sports team has won four league titles in a row. It’s a huge accomplishment for us. It’s something that I have put in their ears all year. I let them know that they had a chance to make history. They knew what was ahead of them and they achieved it.”

A key strength of this year’s squad, Seenes said, is its experience.

“This team was a very veteran team [featuring four] seniors who have played a lot of varsity tennis, ” he stated. “Milan Jevric, second singles, is a four-year letter winner who finished second in the league. Matt Hlas, first doubles, is a three-year letter winner who finished first in the league. Cole Collins and Nick Milich, second doubles, finished first in the league. This group of seniors has had quite a career of being a big part of our four consecutive league titles.”

According to Seenes, Norton also was powered by a junior and sophomore who stepped up and contributed in notable fashion.