“Whenever we played that first match, everything just kind of clicked and we both felt really comfortable.”
That’s how Rogersville senior Tucker Ethridge describes his doubles partnership with junior Jack Gold, a partnership that’s paid off to the tune of three straight state tournament appearances, including this season.
The pair has known each other longer than high school, however.
“We’ve [played], previous to high school, at Hickory and Cooper, and we’ve always been friends,” Gold said. “Then freshman year, we were one and two, and we just started playing.”
The duo may not have even made it that far if it wasn’t for two special people: their sisters.
“Our sisters were in high school together,” Gold said. “They knew each other and they kind of introduced us because they both knew their brothers played tennis.”
From there, they’ve flourished, playing off each other’s strengths like a seasoned doubles team.
“You always have to work together,” Ethridge said. “You have to work together, knowing what your partner’s doing.”
Speaking to their familiarity, the two often finish each other’s sentences.
“Talking in between each point helps a lot,” Gold said, proving the point.
Like the most successful tandems, the two have a complimentary set of skills.
Ethridge describes himself as “pretty aggressive,” and says he likes to hit the ball hard and try to finish the point quickly.
“I’m more of a consistent player,” Gold said. “So he’s got the power, I’ve got the consistency, I guess.”
Unfortunately, the inherent finite nature of high school athletics means the two are playing their final matches together. Ethridge is a senior, and his career playing with Gold is over when their state tournament ends.
“That last match is going to be pretty upsetting,” he said.
That leaves Jack the elder statesman on the Rogersville tennis team.
“We don’t have many players,” he said. “Pretty much everyone is graduating, so I’ll probably end up doing singles.”
If he does take back to the doubles court, it will be quite an adjustment.
“It’ll be weird because I’ll have to play with a new partner that I haven’t played with,” he said. “I’ve played with [Tucker] for three years, so it’ll definitely be a change.”
But for now, they have a state tournament to play in. They’re coming off back-to-back quarterfinal finishes, and have their sights set on further in their last hurrah.
“We’re just practicing a lot, as much as we can, just getting ready,” Ethridge said. “There’s a lot of stiff competition there, so we’re just trying to get everything ready.”
Tucker Ethridge and Jack Gold from Rogersville tennis are our Arby’s High School Athletes of the Week.
