Heffron brothers foes, too

Randall and Walker Heffron fully understand what Venus and Serena Williams go through each time they are pitted against each other in a tournament. Randall and younger brother Walker practice against each other all the time, but facing each other in a real match is altogether different.

It's been about eight years since the two met for the first time in a junior tournament in Columbia. That confrontation came easily since the brothers were so young and hadn't perfected their winning games to their current levels.

These days, Randall is a 6-1 junior who has produced a 59-6 record in three years at Bishop England; Walker is a strapping 6-3 sophomore for the Bishops who is developing a big tennis game as well as made the Bishops varsity basketball team. "He's growing every day," Randall said Saturday about his "little" brother.

When they meet now, it's an occasion. Since they're in different age groups, Randall 18s and Walker 16s, they haven't squared off in juniors since that initial meeting in the 10s.

But in the S.C. High School League's recent Class AA/A individual tournament in Columbia, the brothers couldn't avoid each other, short of defaulting. Randall won the quarterfinal showdown, 7-6, 7-5, and went on to lose to eventual champion Bill Kenny of Waccamaw in the semifinals. Both Randall and Walker were awarded all-state honors.

"Both of us were a little hesitant," Randall said. "We were competing and having good points, but we weren't intense ... just trying to have fun."

It was Walker's first and only match in the tournament since he had a walkover in the first round. "Everyone else played at least two matches ... Walker got one," Randall said. "He would have won the backdraw.

"We (Bishop England) were the only team in the AA/A draw that had two players in the same part of the draw."

Randall and Walker are preparing for their annual trip to the northwest corner of the state next weekend to compete at Belton again. They'll play doubles together and root for each other in singles. "This will be my last chance to win Belton," said Randall, whose best Belton finish is third.

Randall plans to play college tennis, like his deceased dad, former Citadel standout and local dentist Randy Heffron.

The boys were small, two and three years old, when cancer took their dad at age 47. And their mother, Robin, has paid a small fortune in junior tournament entry fees for her sons for much of the last decade.

Robin Heffron has been their constant companion and fan at junior matches. She'll be at Belton. "Mom has done a great job. We couldn't have done it without her," Randall said.

"Dad was unbelievable. He played No. 2 for The Citadel and he won doubles and singles titles in the Southern Conference. He used to let us run around the courts and stuff. He was in the best shape a human being could be in. He got up every morning and he would run."

The boys obviously are proud of their dad. And he certainly would be proud of their tennis accomplishments and the young men they have become.

Notes

Berkeley eighth-grader Zac Dye was a consolation finalist in the Class AAA-AAAA SCHSL individual tournament and was awarded all-state honors.

In SCISA, Palmetto Christian's Addison King and Austin Heinz, Porter-Gaud's J.B. Robards and Thomas Spratt, Pinewood Prep's Adam Elliget, and First Baptist's Anderson Scarpa made the boys' all-state team.

Two local men's open teams captained by Brian Burke and Chris Henderson are scheduled to participate in the Southern Sectional league tennis championships in late July in Birmingham, Ala.

The Players Racquet and Tennis Club in Mount Pleasant holds NTRP-rated adult tournaments June 11-14, July 9-12 and Sept. 17-20. The entry deadline for each tournament will be at 9 a.m. three days prior to the event. Competition will be held in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Contact Chuck Lee (330-1128).

Reach James Beck at jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.