Warren Central seniors Joseph Jabour and William Wooten have served their way to playing tennis at the next level. The duo inked their commitment letters with East Central Community College Friday afternoon in the school’s library.

They settled on East Central – opposed to Belhaven, Hinds and a number of junior colleges who were interested in their talents – because they feel new coach Jay Pacelli will make them better players and have a chance to play against a broader range of talent.

“Junior college has a wider range. We play people from Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas as well, not just Mississippi,” Jabour said. “We’re able to go into newer tournaments, the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) tournaments offer a wider range of players of different backgrounds and ethnicities and I find that interesting.”

Jabour, specifically, sat down with Pacelli and his words of encouragement soothed Jabour in his decision.

“He understood where I was coming from more than all the others. He offered me what I wanted to hear,” Jabour said. “He said ‘I can make you better and I will work you hard. I will give you the chance to go somewhere else after junior college.’ That’s all I wanted to hear from a coach. He had me sold right then and there.”

Wooten is looking forward to the experience he’ll gain from the heighted level of competition and is grateful for the opportunity to continue his playing career.

Wooten said the transition to collegiate athletics has been made easier with the arrival of his teammate.

“I have somebody I can go up there and get better with,” Wooten said. “Go to practice and hit, and try to help each other out.”

Warren Central tennis coach Jeff Pilgrim is on board with the duo’s decision to continue their careers at East Central.

Pilgrim and Pacelli initially conversed about the production of practice. From past experience, Pilgrim has had players’ talents stunted from a lack of organization in practice.

“They kind of just rolled the balls out and made them play. This coach was very adamant about how to run drills and how to increase the level of play through drills and other aspects as well,” Pilgrim said.

Junior college tennis players typically play both singles and doubles. As Jabour and Wooten played doubles for the Vikings, they’ll be faced with learning the difference in singles play.

While Wooten is a novice as a singles player, Pilgrim said once he understands singles play, he could be a dangerous player in that event.

“He has to understand the consistency aspect of singles. Generally you’re singles players need to be really fast and really fit, William has that. He was lightning speed and incredible endurance but he tries to hit too many winners too fast instead of letting the point play out in five, 10-shot rallies,” Pilgrim said.

Jabour, however has a solid understanding of singles play but Pilgrim noted the biggest learning objective for him was the variety of shots he can hit as a left-handed player.

“Being left handed, he’s going to learn how to use the advantage of being left handed a little bit better than what I could’ve taught him,” Pilgrim said. “As a right handed player, I generally want to try and hit it to the opposing player’s backhand because it’s typically the weaker shot. That kind of routine puts right-handers hitting to his forehand.

“Not to mention in a cross-court battle I would be hitting my backhand to his forehand, which is lethal for him.”

Monday and Tuesday marked the end of their careers at Warren Central during the MHSAA Class 6A tennis tournament in Jackson.

Wooten, along with his boys’ doubles partner Matthew Register, were bounced on the first day of competition dropping their match with Tupelo’s Will Brawner and Zak Keith 6-7, 4-6.

Jabour advanced to the second day of the competition in mixed doubles with partner Amanda Boleware. Jabour and Boleware played to a third-set tiebreaker against Northwest Rankins’s John Dennis and Brooklyn Meadows 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.

Tupelo’s Sebastian Rios and Dakin Reed extinguished Jabour and Boleware’s flame with a 6-2, 6-4 victory Tuesday.