The No. 1 goal in 2008 for many of the players on Newton-Conover's boys tennis team has been a rematch against Cardinal Gibbons in the state 2A dual-team finals.

    While that goal is still a possibility, with the Red Devils advancing to Tuesday's second round, there's one goal that has been kept a secret until now — they want to be movie stars.

    That's right, the Red Devils want their success story made into a movie, kind of like "Friday Night Lights." "I want a movie about us — I want a movie about Newton-Conover tennis," Alan Pernell said. "That would be so awesome."

    Newton-Conover is not only in the midst of its second straight 2A dual-team title match run, it has also placed six in this weekend's state 2A individual regionals, held at Catawba College in Salisbury. Won Lak Choi and Josh Gill will enter singles competition, and the teams of Alex Burchins and Hang Choi, and Will Huggins and Pernell will compete in doubles. The opening rounds will begin Friday at 2 p.m., and the regional semifinals and finals will be on Saturday. State championships will begin next weekend in Cary.

    For these six individuals, it's all fun and games — that is until they break the huddle right before matchtime. Their favorite times are bus rides to away games, and it's those moments — ones filled with situations they say are not suitable for young audiences — are what the regional qualifiers think would make a great centerpiece for their movie. "It would be a comedy, probably rated 'R'," Huggins said.

    The boys are quick to tell you their "R-rated" humor isn't one that's full of filth or perversion, but rather one that your average teenager would relate to — or atleast those on Newton-Conover's tennis team. And they'll also tell you it's that humor — whether it's on the bus or at school during practice — that has made them so successful. "It keeps us loose, more relaxed," Burchins said.

    In two years, the team has won two conference titles, and been to a state championship. In head coach Brian Tate's three-year tenure, he's had individuals advance to the state individual championships, but never all six at the same time. "We've got a pretty good shot at that this year," he said. Add to that the possibility of back-to-back state title appearances, and you have a pretty successful program the regional qualifiers credit their sense of humor to.

    There's also another historical milestone on the line for the Red Devils — if the boys' tennis team advances to the state championship, it will be the first time the school has sent three teams to the state finals in the same school year. In an e-mail response from athletic director Don Patrick, he said since the school became a member of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, three teams making three finals appearances hasn't happened. "We're about to make history!" Pernell exclaimed.

    But before the first man-on-the-moon-type history is made — there are still three matches that separate the Red Devils from the title match — the six regional qualifiers want to represent their school well in this weekend's tournament.

    Burchins and Pernell are making their fourth straight regionals appearance. Pernell is also a three-time state qualifier, advancing to the final eight his sophomore year. Burchins has never advanced to states. Gill and Won Lak Choi are making their second regionals appearance, with Won having reached states last year. Huggins and Hang Choi are making their first regionals appearance.

    The boys said the movie should be directed by either Steven Speilberg or Quentin Tarantino. Speilberg for the comedy and special effects, and Tarantino for a good movie out of sequence. "It should start with us winning," Pernell said of Tarantino's ending-first effect. "Start with one of us winning on a dive volley."

    Whether the movie (which yet has a title because the six couldn't be serious long enough to come up with anything) begins at the end or starts at the beginning, the result will still be the same — a hand full of teenagers who like to cut up and play tennis, very good tennis, at the same time.

    "It feels good to beat people," Gill answered when asked why he likes to play tennis. And as his teammate felt like he had stated the obvious and needed to be called out on it, Huggins replied, "Everybody likes that feeling, Josh." No sooner did Huggins get a jab in, the other teammates gained up on Huggins, who was wearing shorts identical to Gill's. "Cute shorts, man," several said — all in a day's work, which is classic Newton-Conover banter.

    Banter so classic, it might just make its way to the big screen. "That would be so cool," Burchins said. "Because that's what we're good at."