Barb Thomason expects the Park Rapids boys tennis team to struggle in the early part of the season. However, the Park Rapids head coach expects the Panthers to develop into a solid team by the end of the season.
The Panthers have to replace their top singles player and top doubles team from a year ago. Luke Hentges posted a 4-7 record at No. 1 singles and finished fourth in singles at the Section 8A tournament while Scott VanSickle and Jake Hansen teamed for a 7-8 record at No. 1 doubles and won the subsection title in doubles.
In addition to having to fill those key spots, the Panthers will face a tougher schedule with both New York Mills and Mahnomen dropping their boys tennis programs. That leaves Section 8A with only five teams: Park Rapids, Crookston, East Grand Forks, Perham and Thief River Falls. Park Rapids had a 1-5 record against those teams last season, including a 7-0 loss to Crookston in the section semifinals.
On the positive side, the Panthers return eight players who saw varsity action last spring: seniors Matt Koeller and Tyson Sievers; juniors Brady Pederson, Joe Penning and Ben Waller; sophomore Mark Smith; and freshmen Jordan Anderson and Ryan Kent.
Koeller and Sievers compiled a 3-3 record at No. 3 doubles last season and are expected to fill one doubles spot this spring.
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Waller and Pederson teamed up for a 3-5 record at No. 2 doubles and 2-1 record at No. 3 doubles and placed third in doubles at the subsection meet. Waller had a 10-10 overall record in doubles while Pederson went 8-9 in doubles and 0-1 at No. 4 singles.
Penning had an 0-2 record at No. 3 singles and a 2-2 record at No. 4 singles and went 1-3 at No. 2 doubles and 3-1 at No. 3 doubles last season.
Smith had a 5-16 overall record in singles, capped by runner-up showing in singles at the subsection meet. Smith went 0-4 at No. 1 singles and 3-10 at No. 2 singles.
Anderson and Kent alternated at No. 3 and No. 4 singles with Anderson going 1-5 at the No. 3 spot and 2-4 at the No. 4 position while Kent had a 2-7 record at No. 3 singles and 3-3 mark at No. 4 singles. Kent also went 0-1 at No. 2 singles.
Thomason is looking at rotating Smith, Anderson and Kent at the top three singles spots with Penning also playing singles. Pederson and Waller will probably team up in doubles again with Penning also playing some doubles.
Being counted on to fill the other starting spots are freshmen Michael Atneosen, Kirt Leadbetter and Ted Tiffany and eighth-grader Steve Smith. Providing depth will be eighth-graders Max Brown, James Kujawa and Robert Swanstrom and seventh-graders Nick Belfiori, Jacob Froelich and Alex Renner.
"We're a young team, but we have a lot of potential," said Thomason. "Some of the younger kids played a lot of tennis over the summer. We have a tough schedule this year, but hopefully we'll mature by the end of the season."
