(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Times News will be running a series of stories asking area coaches and athletic directors to recall their “most memorable” sporting event. Today’s most memorable moment comes from longtime Jim Thorpe tennis coach Norb Lienhard.)

By TJ Engle

tengle@tnonline.com

Norb Lienhard has been a fixture at Jim Thorpe for decades.

The veteran tennis coach has seen more aces than anyone can count, and he has witnessed more deuce games than most could imagine.

That’s not surprising considering that Lienhard has coached the Olympian boys team for the last 27 years, and the girls team the last 25.

There have been hundreds of Jim Thorpe wins during that time period.

But Lienhard has no trouble picking out one win that stands out above the rest.

It came almost 13 years ago.

“That’s an easy one, really,” said Lienhard. “It was back in 2007. It was the semifinals of the District 11 Class 2A Boys Team Tournament that we were in.

“It was the most intense match I was ever involved in.”

The Olympians, seeded third, traveled to take on No. 2 seed Notre Dame of Green Pond on that Thursday afternoon, May 10.

“We went down to Green Pond, and of course when you go down to the Allentown area from up here, you’re always the underdog to begin with,” said Lienhard. “We knew we were a strong team that year. But they had all the fans there. It was a hostile place to play in. Many of the matches were close.

“It was so intense that everybody was arguing over calls, and the parents were getting involved. I never saw anything like it.”

The Jim Thorpe mentor recalled with detail the key match that turned the tide for his Olympians.

“It came down to Brandon Dunbar at No. 2 singles,” Lienhard said. “He won a three-set match. He lost the first (set) 6-1. And the second set he won 7-5. Then in the third set, he won 6-4.”

It was Dunbar’s victory that lifted Thorpe to a 3-2 triumph over the Crusaders.

Lienhard, who still has the game sheet from the match, said his other singles players split their matches.

Brandon Lux, at No. 1, gained a 7-6 (7-4 tiebreaker), 6-4 victory, while Sam Lux, at No. 3, dropped a 6-1, 6-4 decision.

The two teams also divided the matches in doubles play.

Thorpe’s Ben Flizack and Gerard Barile lost at No. 1 in straight sets - 6-1, 7-6 (7-5), while the duo of Ryan Fritzinger and Nate White cruised at No. 2 doubles - 6-2, 6-1.

At most high school tennis matches, the only sounds heard are the squeaks of tennis shoes on the courts, or the sound of the ball hitting the racket on a return or a serve.

But with it being a playoff match, and having a much bigger crowd, the volume there was obviusly louder than normal.

And while Lienhard has been involved in other intense matches, this one stood out from the others.

“That match stuck in my head,” Lienhard said. “It was so intense. It was crazy. There was so many people yelling and cheering throughout the whole thing.

“Usually in tennis matches, when the points are being played, everything is quiet, and this was loud all the way through. Everybody yelling, cheering, saying stuff. It was amazing.”