Brothers turn out to be aces for Marshfield tennis team

MARSHFIELD - Marshfield senior John Fay approached his coach, Tom Duncan, about his desire to play doubles tennis with his brother Will, a sophomore, before the season.

"I had my reservations," Duncan said. "John was a varsity player and I wasn't sure Will was before the season. I just said, 'Prove me wrong.' Sometimes as brothers, if there are struggles, it doesn't just stay on the court; you take it home with you."

Duncan decided to give the pairing a try, and the Fay brothers have rewarded his faith with a nearly flawless season.

"We were hitting together basically all summer, and from the first match we've been in sync," John Fay said. "It sounds bad, but I haven't liked my other doubles partners (from last year). Will and I play every sport together and he's been the perfect partner."

The Fay brothers like to hang out off the court, whether it's video games or a spontaneous camping trip, Will said. They really grew close as Will was graduating middle school, John said.

The Fays' bond spills over onto the tennis court, as the brothers have steamrolled through conference foes, losing just once all season. The Tigers doubles teams are the strength of the squad, and the Fay brothers are no different at No. 2 doubles.

"They have a connection you can't teach," Duncan said. "They find a way, even sometimes when things aren't going well, to win. Losing is not an option for them."

The No. 1 doubles combo of Derek Reckner and Jared Cordova are also unbeaten in conference play. And the singles players are no slouches either, which is why Marshfield is in position to capture the school's first WVC title in more than two decades.

"We have players on our junior varsity that really have no business being there," John Fay said, one of just two seniors on the team said. "We just have a very deep and talented team this year."

The Fay brothers lost to a loaded Green Bay Southwest team earlier this season, but Will said that it was a big turning point for the pairing.

"I think it really showed us what we needed to work on," Will said. "At the time, we saw it as a negative but it really was something we needed. It's made us better."

Now, the Fays and the rest of the Tigers have their eyes fixed on bringing home the team's first Wisconsin Valley Conference title in more than two decades. The Wisconsin Valley Conference meet begins at 9 a.m.Thursday at Wausau East High School.

Now, the close-knit brothers hope their phenomenal season carries over to the conference meet and subsectionals as the season gets to crunch time and hopefully ends at the Neilsen Tennis Stadium in Madison at the state tournament.

"That's what we're striving for," John said. "I don't see a reason why we can't and that should be our goal."

Going Out Reporter Mitchell A. Skurzewski: 715-898-7006, mskurzewski@marshfield.gannett.com; Twitter: @MSkurzewski