GEORGETOWN PREP FOOTBALL PLAYER EMBRACES NEW ROLE, B-3
SPORTS OLNEY | SILVER SPRING
www.gazette.net | Wednesday, September 18, 2013 | Page B-1
One day WITH THE PROS
PHOTO FROM LOUIE LU
Rockville resident Steve Bobadilla (left) served as an honorary guest of the US Open Wheelchair Tennis Competition public draw ceremony Sept. 4 at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows (N.Y.).
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Kennedy High graduate gets pointers while attending the US Open
BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER
R
ockville resident Steve Bobadilla’s 23rd birthday on Sept. 4 was bound to be a good one. Earlier in the summer he had won three tickets to the US Open while competing in a US Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic Section wheelchair tennis tournament and on that Wednesday was Flushing (N.Y.)bound with his mother, Luz, and father, Victor, for quarterfinal day at the final grand slam of the professional tennis season. It turned out to be an even more memorable day than Bobadilla could’ve imagined, he said. The US Open Wheelchair Tennis Competition public draw ceremony held on-site at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was being held Sept. 4. Bobadilla served as an honorary guest — he pulled out the chips that determined the competition’s random draw. Bobadilla’s birthday got even better when his wish to hit the courts with some of his wheelchair tennis idols, including Paralympic gold medalists David Wagner and Nick Taylor, was granted. “I didn’t know that was going to happen, they surprised me with that and it was a once in a lifetime experience, something I will never forget,” Bobadilla said. “I was nervous [to play with the pros], I was like, ‘Am I
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Winston Churchill High School’s Katie Gauch could benefit from a new USTA initiative.
going to choke, or am I going to do OK?’ I did pretty good, the top players were giving me some tips. It was very memorable.” Bobadilla was born with Spina Bifida, which literally translates to “split spine,” according to the Spina Bifida Association website. Levels of severity differ among individuals with the disease, which is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States, and Bobadilla’s case is fairly limiting — he has been wheelchair-bound since birth. Doctors warned his parents of the lifelong struggles their son would face, Victor said, and gave the younger Bobadilla little chance of leading any semblance of a normal life. Traveling the country to compete in wheelchair tennis tournaments seemed completely out of the question. Steve played wheelchair soccer, basketball and baseball as a child — Victor credited Luz with her commitment to keeping their son involved in activities. But it wasn’t until he was about 14 that he realized playing tennis with his dad could also be a reality. “I started watching all the able-body people played and started to enjoy it and one day I just said, ‘Alright, let me try this,’” Steve said. “I figured I had the ability to do all the things that are required to play wheelchair tennis.”
See PROS, Page B-2
Changingthelandscape? n
BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER
At the start of each fall and spring season many high school girls’ and boys’ tennis coaches of Montgomery County’s top-ranked teams have to wonder if their school’s best player will opt to participate in scholastic competition. College coaches look almost exclusively at U.S. Tennis Association rankings during the recruitment process, county coaches agreed, and players who choose to completely sit out or ease up on tournament play during the two- to three-month sea-
NATIONAL TENNIS BODY CONSIDERS GIVING POINTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL MATCHES
son risk a drop in USTA ranking, Winston Churchill High School junior singles player Katie Gauch said. Therefore it has become more common for players in search of an athletic scholarship to sit out one or more high school seasons. A new USTA initiative still in its early planning stages could change that pattern and the landscape of county tennis overall. According to Bonnie Vona, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Manager of Competitive Tennis, there is a movement toward ultimately awarding USTA ranking points for high school matches. “Let’s recognize those matches and
give [players] some participation and ranking points,” Vona said. “That will encourage players already ranked in the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section more encouragement to participate in high school.” The point scale has not yet been determined, but it’s not likely the points will weigh as much as those acquired at the top national tournaments. But the ability to somewhat stabilize their ranking might help some players feel more comfortable participating in high school tennis, Gauch said.
See TENNIS, Page B-2
Good Counsel’s last defense Girls’ soccer: Goalkeeper leads the Falcons’ defense
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BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School goalie Megan Hinz holds the ball during practice on Aug. 15.
Ten minutes separated the Our Lady of Good Counsel High School girls’ soccer team from its eighth Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title last fall when longtime rival Bishop O’Connell (Va.) was awarded a penalty kick. The Falcons held a 1-0 lead in the 70th minute of the championship game, a
pretty dicey time to give up what more often than not would end up being a free point. The thought of letting the ball by her in any capacity didn’t even cross current Good Counsel senior goalkeeper Megan “Stu” Hinz’s mind for a second, she said. Protected by perhaps the Washington Metropolitan area’s stingiest backlines each of the past two seasons, this was one of few chances Hinz would have to back up longtime Falcons coach Jim Bruno’s proclamation that she
See DEFENSE, Page B-2
Quince Orchard receiver plays older than he is n
Brown, a 16-year-old senior, leads Cougars against Damascus this week BY
DAN FELDMAN
IF YOU GO Quince Orchard vs. Damascus
STAFF WRITER
n When: 6:30 p.m. Friday
Malcolm Brown arrived at Quince Orchard High School, where his two older brothers had played football, for his first practice and received quite the welcome from coach Dave Mencarini. “The first thing Mencarini said to him, Mencarini says, ‘Hey, you’re the best-looking one out of all three of them,’” said Richard Montgomery coach Josh Klotz, who served as Quince Orchard’s offensive coor-
n Where: Damascus High School, 25921 Ridge Road
1858020
n Preview: Both teams are 2-0 and have dominated their opponents so far this year. The Gazette ranks them No. 2 and 4 in Montgomery County.
dinator the previous four years. “And then he said, ‘The younger they get, the more athletic they get,’” Brown said. Within or outside of his own family, Brown is proving that axiom. Brown, a senior, is just 16. He’ll be 16 when Quince Orchard plays at Damascus at 6:30 p.m. Friday. He’ll be 16 when Quince Orchard concludes its season, even if that’s in its third straight 4A state-title game. He’ll even be 16 when he’s eligible to sign with one of the NCAA Division IFootball Bowl Subdivision teams recruiting him. Brown won’t turn 17 until Feb. 18 because he
See RECEIVER, Page B-2
GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE
Quince Orchard High School’s Malcolm Brown (right) looks to break a tackle on Friday after catching a pass against host Walt Whitman Thursday in Bethesda.