FAYETTEVILLE — Reed Churchill doesn’t display much emotion on the tennis court. He leaves that to the opponents who are usually left flustered by his dominant play.
“I know he’s raging on the inside,” said Darin Phelan, Churchill’s tennis coach for the past three years at Fayetteville. “But the opponent doesn’t see that, so when you’re able to not show that in a match, it can help and it can affect the other guy you are playing.”
Profile
Reed Churchill
SCHOOL: Fayetteville
CLASS: Senior
HEIGHT: 6-2
NOTABLE: Became Fayetteville's first state champion in boys tennis singles since Darin Phelan, the current Bulldogs coach won it back in 1993... Repeated as 7A state singles champion this season and also won the singles title in the 7A/6A-West conference in both 2011 and 2012. Helped Fayetteville to a runner-up finish at the Class 7A tournament each of the last two years.
Whether it was his ability to channel his inner fire or his overall skills as a player, Churchill’s approach on the tennis circuit worked. A conference and state singles champion as a junior, Churchill was able to repeat both titles this season and be named the All-NWA Media Boys Singles Player of the Year.
“I’m very satisfied with (my career),” Churchill said. “Having won two state tournaments and two conference tournaments, that’s pretty good.
“I was hoping to win the overall tournament, but it didn’t happen.”
Churchill started his time with the Purple Bulldogs as a standout doubles player as a sophomore, and quickly laid the foundation that would take Fayetteville boys tennis to new heights over the next three years. The switch to singles play in his junior and senior seasons was an easy decision for Phelan, as Churchill possessed a consistent game few others at the Class 7A level could match.
“We knew coming into this year his ground strokes and the consistency were his strength,” Phelan said. “We just needed to work on his play at the net and being more aggressive, and he did that.”
Churchill credits his work on his serve game with helping to fight off the tough competition during his senior year, particularly from fellow 7A/6A-West Conference foe Dylan Deluca of Bentonville, who Churchill defeated 6-1, 6-4 at this year’s 7A state tournament finals match in North Little Rock.
“I definitely had to improve my serve,” Churchill said. “Dylan is a very good player, and I knew what I had to do against Dylan. So, I definitely had to serve better this year.”
While Fayetteville wasn’t able to win a state championship in Churchill’s time with the team, he remains pleased after helping the school earn a pair of conference titles and two state runner-up finishes.
“I’m definitely proud of what we did,” Churchill said. “I just tried to help my team be as good as they could be. We just tried to get that state title, and we couldn’t do it.”
Phelan said he can’t recall another two-time singles champion at the state’s highest classification in recent history. And he should know, having won his own singles title for Fayetteville back in 1993.
More important than the championships, though, is the groundwork Churchill has laid for the future of the Bulldogs’ tennis program.
“He was remarkable,” Phelan said. “To have a kid like that come in was remarkable, and what he did for our program and what his senior class did for our program laying the foundation for the future was great.
“He will be hard to replace.”