With one returning state qualifier, three returning letter-winners and a roster of 11 athletes, coach Stuart Holmes is gearing up for another competitive year of Hillsboro High School tennis.
?One of our leaders certainly will be Taylor Hagen,? Holmes said. ?Taylor has played varsity all three years previously and returns for his senior season after teaming with Clay Shewey to earn the seventh-place medal at state last year.?
With the graduation of Shewey, Holmes will be looking to fill the void with a new partner for Hagen this campaign. The leading candidates in preseason practice are the two other returning letter-winners, junior Jarod Hamm and sophomore Grant Shewey.
?Both were solid singles players last year,? Holmes said. ?Providing additional experience, as well as challenging for their first season on varsity, will be seniors Sam Bookless and Jonathan King.?
One newcomer to the program, sophomore Jesse Allen, is a strong candidate for varsity as well, and a group of five freshmen?Harry Faber, Tyler Funk, Daniel Gray, Jeff Pritchard and Josh Wiebe?will be looking for opportunities to make an impact in their first season.
?The team has a good mix of experienced tennis athletes as well as some new athletes that have good potential as players, so it will make for competitive practices that hopefully can help us prepare to compete at a high level.?
Holmes said varsity roles will be determined as the season progresses.
?The season is off to a good start, but with just a few practices it is too early to tell who will earn which varsity spots?and, of course, that can change throughout the year,? he said.
?Every day we will be looking to improve in practice and make progress throughout the season,? he added. ?Tennis provides a great opportunity to challenge yourself mentally as well as physically, and we want to grow in both areas each day?whether at practice or in competition.?
The team will begin its competitive schedule tomorrow (April 1) at Conway Springs. After a tournament at Smoky Valley on April 6, the team will host the first three home tournaments this spring with the Hillsboro Invitational on April 8.
The Trojan Invitational is scheduled for April 20 and Hillsboro will host the final Mid-Central Activities Association league tournament May 3.
?Certainly here in central Kansas, we get the opportunity to compete against some of the best 3A and 4A tennis players in the state,? said Holmes, who is in his third year at the helm.
