Panthers make history...

By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com

Wow, was that Class 6A race at the boys state tennis tournament one of the more exciting things The Boneman has seen in a while.

Seriously, I’m sad it’s all over now. Can’t get me enough of tennis.

In the end, it was a “North” thing that led to Putnam North getting its first team championship.

The Norman North doubles team of Kevin Boyd and Sam Geurkink beat Tulsa Union in a three-set match of the tournament to prevent Union from tying the Panthers for the title.

I watched most of the second and third sets with PCN coach David Diefenderfer. That in itself was quite the experience.

Asked how nerve-racking it was to have his fate decided by somebody else:

Unbelievably. When you have no control over it, it’s worse than watching your team and controlling your own destiny.

It’s been a long time coming. I thought Union was going to be able to do it, but this group is a special group of kids.

As I said in Sunday’s piece, it’s not like Putnam North was handed over the title. Union was a four-time defending champ that went out on its shield.

But in every match possible, the Panthers stepped up. A lot of weight was put on sophomore Chris Haworth’s shoulders, but he came through with a championship and a 38-0 record.