—Submitted photo fort dodge’s micah flaherty will play in the state tournament this week for the fourth time.

IOWA CITY — For one final time, Micah Flaherty will put on the Fort Dodge tennis uniform and compete as a Dodger beginning here Tuesday at the Class 2A state singles tournament.

Flaherty, a four-time medalist who was fourth last year, received the No. 2 seed in the draw. He will face Bettendorf senior Noah Gehler in the opening round from Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center.

The overall No. 1 seed went to Anthony Schulte of Cedar Rapids Prairie, as Garrett Bauermeister of Linn-Mar earned the No. 3 and Jake Nelson from Waukee Northwest the No. 4. Bauermeister is a junior while Nelson is a senior like Schulte and Flaherty.

“I am extremely excited on how this bracket turned out, and I love my chances in each match,” Flaherty said. “Although I have my mind on the finals, I am taking it one match at a time.

“At the end of the day, seeds are just a number next to a name and I want to make it a point to show I am legit and ready to compete.”

Flaherty is one of three players in 2A to enter state unbeaten at No. 1 singles along with Schulte and Lucas Persson of North Scott, who is also in the field. Flaherty owns a record of 13-0, Schulte is 16-0 and Persson, a junior, is 17-0.

Only Flaherty and Schulte have yet to drop a set, going a combined 57-0 on the season with Flaherty posting a mark of 152-11 in games.

“Micah is ready,” FDSH head coach Scott Messerly said. “He has prepared and trained for this moment. He’s had an incredible season and I know he has high goals for this tournament.”

Last year, Flaherty and Schulte met for third, with Schulte posting a 6-4, 7-5 victory. Flaherty went 14-2 overall last year, losing only at the state tournament.

With a win in the first round Gehler, who is 9-6, Flaherty would take on either Parker Holland of Cedar Rapids Jefferson or Kellan Croatt from Waukee Northwest. Holland, a sophomore, is 10-7 on the season while Croatt, a senior holds a record of 7-0 at No. 2 singles and was a state doubles champion last spring.

David Knight is the only other Dodger to win a state singles title, claiming gold in 2010. The last FDSH state champions were Jon Bowser and Brian Murman in doubles in 2015.

Other players entered in the singles draw include Ben Smalley of Cedar Falls, Pierce Hribar of Iowa City West, William Feagler from Iowa City High, Aadil Patel of Johnston, Brady Fyre from Dowling, Dylan Schulte of Cedar Rapids Prairie, Srihari Kumaresan of Johnston and Abhay Anil of Iowa City High.