Harrison Heysek remembers playing tennis with his mother, Mary, when he was just 6 years old.
“We would hit back and forth in the driveway,” he said. “It just expanded from there.”
Harrison is one of a set of triplets. His brothers, Alex and Spencer, also grew up playing tennis, gaining interest from their mom.
All three brothers played through their sophomore year of high school, with Harrison and Spencer now seniors on the Plant City High team, holding the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots, respectively.
In addition to high school, Harrison and Spencer regularly compete in travel tournaments, where they gained the notice of college suitors. Harrison currently has an offer from Florida Atlantic University, in addition to interest from South Florida and Central Florida, while Spencer is verbally committed to play for Southeastern University, in Lakeland.
SIBLING RIVALRY
One may think that brothers, especially two of a set of triplets, would be a cohesive force on the tennis court.
But that wasn’t always the case. Although they have played together practically their whole lives, including holding the No. 1 doubles spot for Plant City High, it wasn’t until their junior season that they found a perfect relationship on the court.
“We’re both extremely competitive people,” Spencer said. “We used to get in arguments a lot. There was a time that we couldn’t play each other, because we would fight, but now, we get along better than ever, and I think it comes down to just being older and more mature.”
Harrison said he really enjoys playing doubles with Spencer for the Raiders.
“We complement each other well,” he said. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and know how we like to play. That helps out a lot and works out better than playing doubles with just a random person.”
Despite being identical twins born mere minutes apart, Harrison’s and Spencer’s playing styles couldn’t be more different. Harrison relies on his power and strong serve to control the pace of the game and keep his opponents on their toes, while Spencer likes to play more of a finesse game.
“Our fitness levels are similar, but his playing style is different,” Spencer said of Harrison. “I mix my playing style up with a slice or different kinds of shots, and he’s just a lot of power. He has a strong serve and a powerful forehand. His forehand is probably his best shot.”
According to Plant City head coach Dale Rice, who has coached at PCHS for 28 years, Harrison has progressed in the last four years.
“He is still powerful, but I’m seeing him be smarter with his play and not just relying on his strength,” Rice said. “His placement on shots has gotten a lot better.”
Rice describes Spencer as a student of the game.
“I sometimes refer to him as Mr. Meticulous, because he’s extremely focused when he’s on the court and has a high attention for detail,” he said.
Spencer also admitted the talent difference between the two.
“He is a better player than me, and that’s something that I used to could never say or admit,” he said. “I don’t think our talents are too far apart, and we definitely push each other to be better players.”
ON A MISSION
With the Heysek brothers being integral parts in the success, Plant City has made regional appearances the past two years, making it to that stage for the first time in a decade in 2011.
Rice hopes with Harrison and Spencer, along with fellow senior Jake Cole and younger brother Kyle Cole, the Raiders once again will make a postseason appearance.
“We’ve been fortunate to have good talent come through our program the last few years,” Rice said.
The Raiders have finished as district runners-up for the past two seasons. Last year’s Class 4A District 5 champ, Wiregrass Ranch, will be the main school standing in the way of Plant City’s first district title in boys tennis in recent history, and the Raiders know what that competition will be like.
The top player for Wiregrass Ranch, senior Courage Okungbowa, practices in Plant City with his father, Stanley, a Nigerian native. Okungbowa is a prime talent and Harrison has had the opportunity to play and practice with him regularly.
“We always have crazy matches,” Harrison said. “I might barely win, or he might barely win, and then I might kill him one match, and he’ll beat me badly in our next match. We both hit hard and fast, and we kind of push each other in practice and matches.”
Harrison has been battling a strained back but is set to return to the lineup Thursday against Chamberlain.
“Our goal this year is a state championship, individually and as a team,” he said. “Our top three players are seniors, so we should have a pretty good team.”
Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver.com.