Maybe the hardest thing to do in all of sports is to make a major change to one's style.

That applies both to horses -- front-runners usually can't be retrained to stalk the pace -- and human beings.

Thomas Worthington junior tennis player Casey Cempre was known for his aggressive, full-power and all-out attack.

Thing was, it wasn't always working out.

So some time back, according to Cardinals coach Tyler Stephen, a plan was developed for a game of controlled aggression.

And it's working out big-time.

That was proven first at the Ohio Capital Conference Central Division tournament when Cempre couldn't even get a seed, but still finished second.

And proven again lately, following a run to third place in the Division I Central District tournament Saturday, May 22, at the Elysium Tennis Club, Cempre is bound for the Ohio High School Atheltic Association state championships this weekend at Ohio State's Stickney Tennis Center.

"The new Casey Cempre is here to stay," said Stephen. "We changed a few things in his game. He has learned how to control points, how to construct points. A few weeks ago, everybody knew how to stop Casey Cempre. In the last couple of weeks, he's developed variety."

No less an interested bystander than Upper Arlington coach Amos Allison has noticed the change.

"He's hitting good hard shots, not going for the win on every ball," Allison said.

"He's really wearing people down. People are waiting for him to break down and he's not breaking down, either mentally or physically."

Cempre's improved game caused Allison some grief.

After defeating Sean Yun of New Albany in the district's first round Friday, May 21, Cempre met Golden Bear Beni Benalcazar in the second.

Benalcazar has been a like bad dream to Cempre in prior meetings.

"At the Worthington Cup, Beni beat him pretty bad," said Stephen.

This time, with a trip to states on the line, Cempre did the beating.

He battled through a tough three-set match to end Benalcazar's season (5-7, 6-0, 6-2).

The next day, with a trip to OSU just about assured (only a very rare set of circumstances keeps a player out after winning the first two rounds), Cempre was matched up with Olentangy Liberty's Arren Carter, one of the top players in the state.

Carter came away with the win (6-1, 6-1), but Cempre was to turn even more heads in his final match.

Across the net was Dublin Coffman's Hiromi Nakayama, a 2009 state qualifier.

"He was 0-6 against Hiromi," Stephen said.

After Saturday and Cempre's win for third place (6-3, 6-4), you can make that 1-6.

Cempre's first-round state opponent Friday will be Jeffery Schorsch of Perrysburg.

With a win, Cempre will have to face one of the top seeds, Ethan Dunbar of Lodi Cloverleaf, in the second round.

Also competing at the district meet was Harrison Chang of Thomas Worthington. Chang's day was done when he met Nakayama in the first round (6-0, 6-0).