By LIONEL TIPTON
EL DORADO, Kansas – El Dorado was host to a tennis tournament Tuesday with four of the teams it will see in its upcoming Class 4A regional in Buhler on May 9.
But the Wildcats were anything but good hosts, posting triumphs in No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles and leaving their competition in the dust.
EHS sophomores Lane Eck and Theron Mays took another step in their attempt to return to the 4A State Tournament, cruising through pool play and blanking Circle seniors Landon Boldra and Keaton Koenigsman in the final, 8-0.
Payton Wade, the Wildcats’ lone senior, improved to 19-2 on the season in No. 2 singles, scoring an 8-2 victory over Augusta senior Dalton Pankratz in the final.
“He’s just consistent,” El Dorado coach Adam Olson said. “We like to see that from our senior. It helps the younger guys.”
That consistency is going to become important as regionals get closer, Olson said.
“We’re focusing on fundamentals and the psychological component,” he said. “Staying in the game, staying in your head and playing within yourself.”
Olson said the success has marked El Dorado as one of the “hunted” rather than one of the “hunters.”
These teams will be quite familiar with each other as regionals arrive. Hesston and Winfield will join them at the seven-team regional.
The doubles showing pleased Circle coach Shawn Lehecka.
After regionals, the 4A State tournament is May 16-17 in Winfield.
With that in mind, all players are looking to find the recipe that will put them in that field.
“I’m happy in how we did as a team,” Olson said.
He was especially pleased with Eck and Mays’ play in the final Tuesday.
“They probably played their best match of the year, which is good to see,” Olson said. “This is the time of year we need to be hitting our peak.”
For pool play, the six-team field was divided into Pool A (Buhler, Augusta, Circle) and Pool B (Neodesha, Wellington, El Dorado). Teams received a point for each pool-play match won that was added to their final total (Six points for first; four for second; three for third; two for fourth; one for fifth and none for sixth).
The Eck-Mays team appears poised for a state berth and likely improving on their sixth-place finish as freshmen last year.
Wade, who began the season on the Wildcats’ junior varsity, keeps vanquishing opponents at a steady pace, and he put himself in good position for a memorable senior season with the No. 2 singles title.
Both Wade and Eck-Mays also were victorious two weeks ago at the Augusta triangular. But this tournament featured a higher quality competition as well as more teams competing.
Neodesha was in both tournaments and was the only team not in 4A. It is part of Class 3-2-1A.
County schools in general seemed to fare better in the doubles competition.
Circle juniors Gabe Duncan and Truman Metzger scored an 8-2 victory over a Neodesha duo in the No. 2 doubles final. They dropped just two games in pool play in reaching the final.
“They showcased what they can be about, once they get moving,” Lehecka said. “They are a team that could make their mark going into the postseason. When they’re on, those two have really good chemistry, and they know how to work with each other and build each other up.”
Going forward, he said his team needs to focus on their game and not their opponent’s.
“The biggest thing is to stay calm and play our game,” he said. “Play our tempo and try to control what we can control.”
In No. 1 singles, Wellington junior Maverick Petersen defeated Buhler’s Ty Campbell. 8-2, in the final.
Augusta seniors Gabe Kohls and Devon Stamback managed to snag a third-place finish for the Orioles in No. 1 doubles with an 8-1 triumph over a Neodesha team.
In a battle of juniors in No. 1 singles, the Orioles’ Dax Henderson needed a tiebreaker to subdue El Dorado’s Reece Knight, 8-7 (9-7), in the third-place match.
El Dorado’s Taidhgin Mora-Bruce and Andrew Wilkinson took third in No. 2 doubles, 8-6, over a Buhler team.
Despite coming late to the varsity party, Wade has broken through in his senior year and is poised to make the state tournament for the third year in a row. Strangely enough, he wasn’t planning on being part of the Wildcats team this year.
“I originally wasn’t going to plan until about February,” Wade said. “I had seen some of my tennis buddies at the (YMCA), and they said I should come out and play. So, I just decided that day I was going to come back and play and haven’t looked back since.
“It’s been a great year so far.”
Wade began the season on the Wildcats’ JV for the first week, but his status quickly changed with his undefeated record.
He will graduate in May, but he will have earned an associate’s degree in business from Butler Community College in addition to his high school diploma. From there, he plans to attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
An overnight success three years in the making, Wade said one part of his game has provided the boost.
“I’d say my serve has gotten a lot more consistent this year, and once I can get it in, it’s got a lot more power than I used to,” he said.
Wade said that he sees no reason he can’t keep on this recent roll.
“As long as I can stay out of my own head in matches … I just play my game and do the best that I can,” he said.
Tennis has provided a way for Wade to stand out from the crowd, he said.
“I played football in the fall, but I would definitely say that tennis is my main sport,” Wade said. “Just being that I’ve had more success.”
Wade credits Olson with refining the mental aspects of tennis.
“Stay consistent, stay out of your own head,” he said. “The little things make bigger things happen, doing all the little things right so you can get the big wins.”
The Circle No. 2 doubles team of Duncan and Metzger has won 11 matches as a team this season. As juniors, they likely will move up to No. 1 doubles next year as seniors.
“The chemistry between us is great,” Metzger said. “I’m better at the back, and Gabe’s better up at the front. We work perfectly together, because I’m bad at one thing and he’s good at it, so we just balance each other out.”
Tennis runs in his family, Metzger said. Older brothers Harrison and Landon competed for the Thunderbirds, as did his older sister, Claire.
“All my siblings (playing tennis) made me want to do it, because I saw how fun it was,” he said.
The No. 2 doubles spot is just fine for them, Metzger said.
“I do like the No. 2 slot, and it’s good to have Landon and Keaton, because they give us someone to compete against every day at practice, which helps us win in tournaments,” he said.
Duncan said the duo started teaming together as freshmen, when both really stepped up their game.
“We work with each other; we know each other’s moves before we make it,” Duncan said. “We just kind of complement each other.”
This season has already been memorable, Duncan said.
“It’s been really good,” he said. “We’ve grown a lot as the season has gone on. We’ve been working with each other, getting better at everything, and I’m excited for regionals.”
That both T-Birds doubles teams are thriving is rooted in them playing each other in practice, Duncan said.
“We make each other better – iron sharpens iron,” he said.
And senior season next year means going to No. 1 doubles.
“I think we’re ready,” Metzger said, “and we’ll win that, too.”
Augusta’s Kohls and Stamback were excited to take third Tuesday – something for the senior scrapbook.
“It’s our first year on varsity,” Kohls said. “It’s a different level of competition than we’re used to, but we’re getting better every day.”
Stamback said that he and Kohls have been partners for three years.
“We know each other pretty well,” he said.
Kohls concurred.
“We’ve known each other since we were kids,” he said.
Stamback said, “We’ve been playing basketball, flag football since we were 5.”
Up to the No. 1 doubles final, Circle’s Boldra and Koenigsman breezed past Buhler, 8-2, but found themselves in a tiebreaker against Augusta, which they pulled out, 8-7 (7-5).
Both started on the Circle boys basketball team, helping the Thunderbirds to a 13-7 record.
Koenigsman said he prefers playing doubles.
“I don’t have to run around as much,” he joked.
Boldra, on the other hand, has a busy schedule this spring, also competing as a pitcher on the Circle baseball team.
Both are only in his second year playing tennis and the second year for the two as a doubles team.
Koenigsman said, “I hadn’t played – ever – before last year.”
But the pairing saw instant success, qualifying for the 4A State Tournament. However, they also had the misfortune of facing duos from perennial powers Bishop Miege and Independence for a quick exit.
El Dorado Tennis Invitational
At North Main Park, El Dorado
Team scores: 1. El Dorado 23; 2. (tie) Circle, Wellington, Augusta, 14; 5. Buhler 13; 6. Neodesha, 10.
No. 1 singles (One point for each pool victory): 1. Maverick Petersen, Well, 8 (2); 2. Ty Campbell, Buh, 6 (2); 3. Dax Henderson, Aug, 4 (1); 4. Reece Knight, ElDor, 3 (1); 5. Jackson Delong, Neo, 1; 6. Aden Trissal, Cir, 0.
No. 1 doubles: 1. Lane Eck-Theron Mays, ElDo, 8 (2); 2, Landon Boldra-Keaton Koenigsman, Cir, 6 (2); 3. Gabe Kohls-Devon Stamback, Aug, 4 (1); 4. Leck-Turner, Neo, 3; 5. White-Lynees, Well, 1; 6. Ricker-Duscher, Buh, 0.
No. 2 singles: 1. Payton Wade, ElDo, 8 (2); 2. Dalton Pankratz, Aug, 6 (2); 3. Shane Schroeder, Buh, 4 (1); 4. Brodee Lough, Well, 3 (1); 5. Landon Howell, Neo, 1; 6. Oliver Wells, Cir, 0.
No. 2 doubles: 1. Gabe Duncan-Truman Metzger, Cir, 8 (2); 2. White-Roebuck, Neo, 5 (1); 3. Andrew Wilkinson-Taidhgin Mora-Bruce, ElDo, 4 (1); 4. Ricker-Davis, Buh, 3 (1); 5. Stewart-Hernandez, Well, 2 (1).
