By STEPHEN GLOVER

For the Call

Jake Menz and Adam Franke of Oakville Senior High School teamed up last season to place seventh in the doubles competition at the Missouri State High School Tennis Championships.

Now as seniors, the dynamic duo took their game to the next level this season as they captured the District 1 championship and grabbed sixth place at the state championships this past weekend in Spring-field.

“They (Menz and Franke) played great in districts,” Oakville Head Coach Bill Pet-ty told the Call.

“When they’re on, they can beat just about anyone. Had they played doubles all year long, they could have probably made it to the finals,” the coach added.

Menz and Franke normally play at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions and led Oakville Senior High to a team record of 12-5 overall and a runner-up finish in districts.

“This year’s team was probably the third best team we’ve had in the 18 years that I’ve been coaching,” Petty said.

“Our strength this season has been in our singles play,” he said.

In the first round of the state championships, Menz and Franke disposed of Santiago Gallego, and Dan Koeger of Cha-minade 6-3, 6-1.

But they fell to Adam Sher and Bart Wilson of Columbia-Rock Bridge in the quarterfinal 6-4, 6-1.

With the loss in the quarterfinal, Menz and Franke moved into the consolation semifinal as they defeated Brendon Shaw and Corley Ward of Marquette 7-6, 6-3.

The Tiger tandem then lost in the fifth place game to Matt Schlueter and Caleb Stephenson of Jefferson City-Helias 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

The two have played well together for the past few seasons and have the ability to compensate for the others weakness and keeping a happy medium between a cool attitude and a little fire in the belly.

“Jake’s become a real power player and plays with a lot of emotion,” Petty said. “Adam’s really quiet and tends to psych out the opponent by being a low key kind of player. They really balance each other out.”