While stand tunes and fight songs blared from Ranger Stadium Wednesday morning, tennis coach Jimmy LaLonde had to yell to his junior varsity squad as they stood red-faced and fanning themselves in the humidity.

The tennis courts may lie in the shadow of the stadium, but the tennis players practice under the same conditions as the football players.

Standing midcourt, LaLonde demonstrates a backhand volley near the net.

“Think about a triangle,” he said, spreading his feet hip width apart. “Your feet are the base of the triangle. Your foot goes forward to the top of the triangle. The right hand always goes out.”

“We’ve not had such a bad season,” junior Benjamin Young said. “We worked really hard this summer, and it helps that we have a really good coach. He used to work at Newk’s.”

Newk’s is a John Newcombe Tennis Ranch near New Braunfels.

“A lot of our best players coach the other ones,” he said. “We tell them to relax their swing, being their helps with the mental game because in tennis it’s all in your head, especially when it’s an even game.”

Young stopped by to pick up his gear and assure his coach that the cramps he experienced the night before will not affect his non-district game at Floresville today. New Braunfels usually wins the district, but LaLonde said next week’s opponent, Clemens, poses the biggest threat this year.

After putting in their best efforts, the team still came up short in a 6-11 loss to Clemens on Sept. 25., but they eventually beat Judson the following match 18-1 on Tuesday.