ALLENTOWN - Aaron Miller’s ascension to the top spot in Lehighton’s tennis lineup has showcased the growth the junior has made in the sport.

That development continued Monday when Miller advanced to the quarterfinals of the District 11 Class 2A singles tournament.

It was another step forward for a player who has grown tremendously both on and off the court.

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect out of this year not having a season last year,” said Miller. “I really didn’t get to see how I was playing.

“I grew probably five inches over the summer, so it has just been a different game for me when I came in and just able to compete at a different level.”

Miller, who entered the tournament with a 7-2 record, has showcased that ability throughout the season in the No. 1 singles spot for the Tribe.

“It was really good to see him grow from the beginning of the season until now,” said first-year Lehighton head coach Cody Shuler. “He really came a long way, and made great strides.

“To have that experience to move forward from, and next year is another year and hopefully he can go our and get them again. It was great.”

Miller, who was seeded eighth, made it to the second round with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Jim Thorpe’s Connor Rodgers.

It was the third time the pair had played this season.

“It was good to play my senior match, and it was great to play someone like Aaron, who I am familiar with and is a great player,” said Rodgers. “Great slice, great serves. He’s clearly put a lot of time in over the last couple of weeks. But it was a great experience to play today.”

Miller beat Rodgers 7-5, 6-1 on April 8, and posted a 6-1, 7-5 victory over his counterpart on March 26.

“He was really consistent getting those first serves in, and he was doing a good job with that,” said Shuler. “And one thing he has done since the beginning of the season that he’s really improved on is just his placement and being able to move the other person around.

“He’s been able to try some new things and work on them since the beginning of the season.”

Miller’s tournament ended with a 6-0, 6-1 loss to top seed Curtis Gruber of Bethlehem Catholic in the quarters.

“He was moving me back and forth all around the court, and I just didn’t have that kind of placement,” said Miller. “But it’s definitely something I have to work on and try to come back next year even stronger.”

In addition to Rodgers, the Olympians also had fellow senior Daniel Teets qualify for the tournament.

Teets fell to No. 3 seed Armaan Makwana of Bethlehem Catholic in the first round.

Despite the loss, Teets was more than thankful for the opportunity to play in the tournament.

“My freshman year I broke my arm. My sophomore year I got to play doubles, and then my junior year was canceled because of COVID,” said Teets. “This year was all the practice and work I have done coming together.

“I’m just glad I made it here. At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t entirely sure that was going to happen, but I’m definitely happy I did. It was a great experience.”

Rodgers has also shown steady improvement throughout his career after playing No. 1 doubles as a freshman, No. 3 singles as a sophomore. He was set to play No. 2 singles last season before becoming Thorpe’s top player this year.

With only 16 players in the tournament this year instead of 32 in past seasons, having both Teets and Rodgers able to cap their senior seasons with a match in the district tournament was another accomplishment in an already successful season for first-year head coach Sam Lux.

“Connor and Danny have made it really easy to be a first-year head coach,” said Lux. “They’re both really solid players. They have great attitudes, great sportsmanship, and they have been great to coach.

“They have been really interested in learning and improving, in not just tennis, but everything. I think with that kind of attitude, they’re going to have a great future in anything they do.”

NEXT STEPS

… Teets is set to attend Rochester Institute of Technology, where he will study biomedical engineering. Rodgers will be attending Grove City College in Western Pennsylvania for political science.

LOOKING AHEAD

… Entering Monday, Jim Thorpe was seventh in the Class 2A power ratings with a record of 9-3, and in position to qualify for the district team tournament. The Olympians are set to play Blue Mountain (9-4) today. Lehighton (3-7) is set to face Pen Argyl (3-8) on Wednesday in its regular-season finale.