MUNCIE, Ind. — There was a time, back in September, when Walker Boyle and Brandon Jackson didn’t know if they’d have the opportunity to chase a state title.
Boyle and Jackson, the duo that made up Delta boys tennis’ No. 1 doubles team, had learned Boyle would need to quarantine for two weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Boyle, a junior, thought there was no longer any chance of advancing to the state finals. Jackson, a senior, was upset; coach Tim Cleland watched Jackson’s head drop during the team meeting when Jackson learned the news as if the dream of reaching state “went down the drain,” as Cleland put it.