Hauser is coming off one of its best boys tennis seasons in school history, but the Jets ran into a buzzsaw in the sectional against Columbus North.
The Bull Dogs made it to the regional final. Columbus East, meanwhile, is in the second year of rebuilding after posting only two wins last fall.
Here is a look at those and other area teams heading into the 2018 season.
Columbus North
The Bull Dogs return only three regular varsity players from its 17-5 squad, but veteran coach Kendal Hammel thinks there won’t be a dropoff.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
“We’re going to be I think a fairly solid team,” Hammel said. “I think we’re going to be as good, if not better, than last year. The returning players have improved, and we have a couple of new freshman coming in. I think we have some good potential there to have a good season.”
Senior Kevin Lin returns at No. 1 singles. Junior Joey Zhao, who played No. 3 singles could play No. 2 or No. 3 singles, along with junior Bhavey Jain.
Junior Adam Saad moves from No. 2 doubles to No. 1 doubles. Freshmen Matthew Liu and Nathan Lin could play No. 2 or No. 3 singles or doubles, and juniors Eamon Ma and Atharva Kute could play doubles.
Junior Will King will provide depth at singles or doubles.
“I’m not sure how it’s going to pan out,” Hammel said. “I have several guys who I could swing between singles and doubles.”
Columbus East
The Olympians went 2-16 after being hit hard by graduation the year before.
This year, East has nearly everyone returning.
“I think we should at least be able to double that or triple that (win total),” East coach Matt Malinsky said. “Hopefully, we can get back on top of some of those teams we normally struggle against and get back some of the teams that got us last year and improve upon that record somewhat this year.”
Senior Luke Miller and junior Jackson Stevens will switch places after playing No. 2 and No. 1 singles last season. Sophomore Pranav Kumar returns at No. 3 singles.
senior Nathan Hatchett is back at No. 1 doubles, where he will team with senior Jalen Pleak, who played No. 2 doubles last year. Freshmen Derek Heidemann and J.P. Kuhlman step in at No. 2 doubles.
“I think we’re much improved from last year,” Malinsky said. “We still have some relatively young players, as far as their experience goes. We have several guys who played in the offseason, and that’s several more than we had last year. We’re looking good so far.”
Hauser
The Jets went 14-3 and won the Mid-Hoosier Conference title last season. But they return only three varsity regulars.
Senior Sean Miller, who played No. 3 singles, and senior Jacob Luken and junior Ethan Wallace, who played No. 2 doubles, are battling for the No. 1 singles spot, along with senior Aaron Mee, who missed most of last season with an injury. Whoever doesn’t end up at No. 1 singles will play Nos. 2 and 3 singles and No. 1 doubles.
Junior Keegan Miller and senior Tyler Moore could play No. 1 or No. 2 doubles. Sophomore Caleb Hoover and freshman Sam Miller are battling for the other varsity spot.
“I think we’ll be OK,” Hauser coach John Pratt said. “The first two weeks of practice are critical for us. We’ve really focused a lot on the basic fundamentals. Just in the last week, I’ve seen them improve by leaps and bounds.”
Jennings County
Four varsity regulars return from a team that went 6-9 last season.
Senior Weston Miller moves from No. 1 singles to No. 1 doubles, wher will team with senior holdover Kent Biehle. Senior Thomas Schuler moves from No. 2 singles to No. 1 singles, and junior Wyatt St. John moves from No. 3 singles to No. 2 singles.
Sophomore Chad Gasper will start the season at No. 3 singles. Senior Kyle Tempest and junior Joe Kelley will be at No. 2 doubles.
“We’ll have some growing to do throughout the year,” Jennings coach Deron Brown said. “I think the guys back are pretty competitive, but it depends how we do at 3 singles and 2 doubles. Hopefully, we’ll be better at the end of the year than the beginning.”
Brown County
The Eagles made it to the sectional final last season before falling to North to end the season 4-19.
“Last season, we learned a lot about our character as a team, and now we know that we are ready to make sure that an eighth-place finish in the WIC will not be repeated,” Brown County coach Kevin Roush said. “This team has continued to let that finish be our motivation in the offseason, and that desire has spilled over into our practices. We have made changes in our routines and attitudes. When the season starts (today), this team will be ready.”
Senior Chase Watson, who played No. 1 singles last year, and junior Aaron McCann are competing for the No. 1 singles spot. Freshman Josh Miller is in line for the No. 3 singles spot.
Sophomores Nolan Patterson and Aiden Burt, who teamed at No. 2 doubles last season, are vying for doubles spots, along with sophomores Spencer Blee, Reid Davis and Noah Cochran. Sophomore John Oliver, who has been hampered by an ankle injury, and freshmen Austen Deckard and Eli Sichting also are pushing for varsity spots.
“As a coach it is nice to see that the returning players not satisfied with the way last season went and have been on a mission to make sure it does not repeat itself,” Roush said. “I look forward to watching this team see value of their new attitude and offseason work pay off.”
Edinburgh
For the first time in 20 years of coaching, Lancers coach Pete Khensouri has less than seven players. They began the season with six players and will look to improve on a 3-14 record.
Senior Coltan Henderson returns at No. 1 singles. Junior Brayden McManaway moves from No. 2 doubles to No. 2 singles.
Junior newcomer Kolton Reed and freshman Travis Jones will step in at No. 1 doubles. Junior Isaiah Estes, who ran cross-country the past two years, will be at No. 3 singles to begin the season, and will team with sophomore Parker Newman, a transfer from Franklin, at No. 2 doubles after Newman gets in his 10 practices.
“We’re young,” Khensouri said. “We’re looking for improvement before the end of the season.”
Trinity Lutheran
The Cougars have a new coach in Clayton Engel.
Junior Jace Crockett moves from No. 2 singles to No. 1 singles. Junior Noah Voelker, who played No. 2 doubles, and senior Pierce McCammon, who played No. 1 doubles, are battling for the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions.
Senior Hunter Morgan is back at No. 1 doubles, where he will be joined by freshman Cameron Gruenwald. Senior Caleb Gruenwald and Jan Lichte, an exchange student from Germany, will play No. 2 doubles.
Trinity finished 1-14 last season.
“Hopefully, we can improve on that,” Engel said. “I think we have a pretty good bunch. We have a good group of kids, good attitude and good work ethic and teamwork — things like that.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
2018 boys tennis schedules for Bartholomew County schools:
Columbus East
Today;at Bloomington South;5 p.m.
Thursday;Greenwood;5 p.m.
Aug. 20;Bedford North Lawrence;5 p.m.
Aug. 21;Columbus North;4:15 p.m.
Aug. 23;at Madison;5 p.m.
Aug. 25;at Plainfield;10 a.m.
Aug. 29;at Brown County;5 p.m.
Aug. 30;Jennings County;5 p.m.
Sept. 5;East Central;5:30 p.m.
Sept. 6;Batesville;5 p.m.
Sept. 8;at Shelbyville;9 a.m.
Sept. 12;at Greensburg;4:45 p.m.
Sept. 13;Seymour;5 p.m.
Sept. 15;East Invitational;9 a.m.
Sept. 17;at Jennings County (HHC tourney);5 p.m.
Sept. 19;HHC tourney;5 p.m.
Sept. 21;at HHC tourney;5 p.m.
Columbus North
Friday;at Jeffersonville Tournament;6:30 p.m.
Saturday;at Jeffersonville Tournament;9 a.m.
Aug. 20;Plainfield;5 p.m.
Aug. 21;at Columbus East;4:15 p.m.
Aug. 23;at Southport;5:30 p.m.
Aug. 30;Perry Meridian;5:30 p.m.
Sept. 1;at Center Grove Invitational;9 a.m.
Sept. 4;vs. Terre Haute South at Bloomington North;5:45 p.m.
Sept. 6;Franklin Central;6 p.m.
Sept. 8;Columbus North Invitational;9 a.m.
Sept. 11;at Bloomington South;6 p.m.
Sept. 15;Floyd Central;10 a.m.
Sept. 18;Greenwood;5 p.m.
Sept. 20;at Bloomington North;5:30 p.m.
Sept. 22;Silver Creek;10 a.m.
Sept. 24;Roncalli;5 p.m.
Hauser
Tuesday;at Shelbyville;5 p.m.
Thursday;at Brown County;4:30 p.m.
Aug. 20;at Milan;4:30 p.m.
Aug. 23;Eastern Hancock;5 p.m.
Aug. 27;Edinburgh;4:30 p.m.
Aug. 28;at Southwestern (Shelby);4:30 p.m.
Aug. 30;Indian Creek;4:30 p.m.
Sept. 4;Triton Central;4:30 p.m.
Sept. 6;Morristown;4:30 p.m.
Sept. 11;at Waldron;4:30 p.m.
Sept. 13;Greensburg;5 p.m.
Sept. 15;MHC tourney at Waldron;9 a.m.
Sept. 20;Oldenburg Academy;5 p.m.
Sept. 22;Hauser Classic;9 a.m.
Sept. 25;Indianapolis Lutheran;4:30 p.m.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
