Landon Harclerode feels he is playing the best tennis of his life this spring.
“In the offseason, I had to put my racket down and take a break,” said the Valley senior, who plays No. 1 singles.
“I focused on getting stronger and faster to improve my game.”
Those improvements have him undefeated in seven matches overall and in three section contests this season.
It also has given him confidence to go after a second straight Section 1-2A title when the tournament begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday on his home courts at Valley High School.
“I feel that there is a lot of pressure going into the tournament,” Harclerode said. “I want to be able to go out there and represent our team, and for myself personally, I want to showcase all my strengths I have worked on over the past year. I am cautiously confident going in because I know what I have to do to win matches. I have elevated all parts of my game, some being my serve and being more consistent on my ground strokes.
“I also focused on strengthening my body and my mental stability over the offseason. I feel this tournament will be competitive because of the high caliber of players in this section.”
Those who reach the semifinals from the first day of the section tournament automatically qualify for the WPIAL singles championship April 8-9.
The section semifinals and finals will be Thursday back at Valley.
Valley coach Rachael Link said Harclerode takes his role as team captain seriously.
“Landon has tethered these guys together to be a family,” Link said.
“He leads selflessly. He has established a community of equality where every guy on our roster contributes to the successes of our team and feels valued. There is no hierarchy. There is no court more important than the other. He establishes that culture by action. He hits with everyone and cheers for everyone.”
Harclerode will share the section-tournament stage with Tyler Quinn, a junior and Valley’s No. 2 singles player. Quinn also went 3-0 in the section victories over Burrell (5-0), Indiana (4-1) and Greensburg Salem (5-0).
“Having the opportunity to train with Landon has skyrocketed Tyler’s game,” Link said. “He will be tough competition in the tournament against the top guys in our section. I’m excited to see Tyler’s journey this season. There’s a fire in him.
“His goal in the tournament is to play smart, consistent tennis. His resilience in points and his grind through every game have made him an intense opponent.”
Harclerode and Quinn are part of a seasoned Valley team that returned six of seven varsity starters from last year’s section runner-up squad, which went on to earn the No. 8 seed for the WPIAL team tournament. The Vikings advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to No. 1 seed and eventual champion Sewickley Academy.
Valley leads the early Section 1-2A race at 3-0 and is undefeated in nonsection matches against North Hills, Kiski Area, Mars and Plum.
The Vikings, who travel to section foe West Mifflin on Tuesday, are well on their way to securing an eighth straight trip to the WPIAL tournament. They have made it to at least the quarterfinals each time with an appearance in the semifinals in 2021.
“I am most proud of the boys motivating and inspiring each other,” Link said.
“On Day 1, we established realistic personal and team goals and got to work. Our philosophy when we train is no talk, all action.
“The culture of our team is based upon grit and fortitude. In tennis, it is a fact you are going to miss, you are going to make a mistake, but there are no timeouts and no substitutions. To earn success, you have to clear your head and make immediate adjustments, and the boys have thrived doing so. Mental stability is crucial.”
Only Ryan Long, at No. 2 doubles, was lost to graduation from last year’s team. But junior Jackson Dameron moved into the vacated spot, and he and senior Maddox DeAntonio have formed a solid unit that is 3-0 in section matches and 7-0 overall.
“These two are students of the sport,” Link said. “They focus on intricacies and execute points strategically smart. Their rapid elevation is due to determination to get better.”
Harclerode, Quinn and senior Jake Ervin (No. 1 doubles) each are in their third year as varsity starters, while junior Baxter Diehm (No. 3 singles), senior Joshua Serena (No. 1 doubles) and DeAntonio are starters for the second straight season.
Valley earned a key section win and a little revenge with a 4-1 victory over Indiana on March 19. It was a rematch of last year’s 3-2 triumph by the Indians that secured their section title by one game over the Vikings.
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“We experienced a heartbreaking defeat to an excellent Indiana team last year. It was a phenomenal battle on all five courts,” Link said. “The loss ignited a unified emotion of determination.
“It was really interesting after our victory over Indiana. The boys were pretty quiet and reserved, even pensive. I think the reality of the caliber of team that we are and have the potential to be began to set in, and it was a bit overwhelming for them. Tennis is an interesting sport where you begin to establish mutual respect for strong programs and players. As the boys battled on the courts at Indiana, their coach came over to me to share his admiration for the strength of our team. This group is the epitome of the level of integrity that competition should be. You want respect? You have to earn it through actions and conduct.”