By Kyle LoJacono
Land O’ Lakes senior Colin Roller reached the state singles semifinals in consecutive years, but was unable to survive a three-hour struggle with eventual champion Fort Myers Cypress Lake’s Parker Woodall 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Roller was down 2-0 in the first set, but broke Woodall’s serve and won six of the last seven games.
“I don’t know what happened after that,” Roller said. “It was back and forth. The guy played unbelievable. In the third I had him at 0-40 two times in his service games, had nine or 10 break points and didn’t break him once. At 4-4 I faced my first break point, I served and volleyed and he shanked a backhand, but I shanked a forehand volley. I make that shot 99 times out of 100.”
Roller received a bye in the first round after being seeded No. 1 in the Class 3A meet. He beat Orlando Edgewater’s David Neitzel 6-1, 6-1 on April 18 before dropping the marathon match. He finishes his career 60-5 in singles, 15-1 this season.
Roller, an Eastern Carolina signee, and David Dollbaum, a freshman, defeated Lakeland in the doubles first round 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, but dropped a three setter to Cypress Lake in the quarters 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
“We came out fast,” Roller said. “In the second we went down 4-1 and couldn’t come back. In the third set we came out like turtles. We were so slow in the third. … We went down 5-1 and fought back to 5-4.”
The Gators’ duo went 12-1 this season. Roller won’t be back, but all of Land O’ Lakes’ returning players are freshmen or sophomores.
“They can be good again next year with Tyler (Sanders) and Erik Thielbar who will be juniors,” Roller said. “David is only a freshman and he won No. 2 singles at districts and got to regionals and state just like I did as a freshman. After the match I told him if he just keeps playing he’s going to be near as good or better than I am.”
