What’s new really isn’t with the Montezuma-Cortez High School boys tennis team. What is new is there is a new head coach for the 2000 season. What isn’t new is that he coached the team in 1998 and two years prior to that as well.

Ricky Carver, who did not coach boys tennis last year, is back as head coach this year. He succeeds Jeff Bollinger, who did not have his contract renewed. Bollinger had succeeded Carver who coached just the girls tennis team last spring. Carver will also coach the girls this spring.

"It’s good to be back," Carver said. "I wasn’t about to let the tennis program die."

He was greeted with 18 players to start preseason. A few were cut and a couple others quit. But right now he has a good nucleus, especially strong junior and sophomore players.

J.C. Keetso, a junior, is playing at no. 1 singles. For the past two seasons he has played doubles.

"He has good ground strokes, but he just doesn’t know how to work with the whole court. He has been used to playing doubles. But with some experience, he should quickly adjust," Carver remarked.

No. 2 singles is Billy Innis, another junior. Innis also played doubles and has played very little singles. But he is making good adjustments. He has a strong serve, when he can get it in. He likes to play the baseline.

No. 3 singles is Jeff Anderson, a sophomore. He is a big, strong kid who makes a big presence at the net. He is aggressive and attacks well. He has good ground strokes, according to Carver.

No. 1 doubles is Gerald Keetso and Keegan Moore. Keetso is a senior but he is a first-year player. Moore is a junior. Both are learning to play together. They sometime get caught in no-man’s land. They should continue to improve.

Playing at the no. 2 spot is the duo of Troy Tanner and Noah Rauscher. Tanner is a sophomore and Rauscher is a freshman. Tanner has some varsity experience from a year ago but Rauscher has none. They are only inexperienced but should do well as the play more together.

No. 3 are veterans David Wilcken and Devin Perkins. Wilcken is a junior and Perkins is a sophomore. Both are good athletes. They move on the court well. They play aggressively. They should become a very good doubles team and could get a shot at qualifying for State.

No. 4 doubles is Sean Carey and Chance Harrison. Both are juniors. They have good ground strokes. They need to learn to adjust their games. They hit the ball well but need to learn to stay out of no-man’s land.

"We have a really nice facility now. The courts (four new ones completed over the summer) at Parque de Vida are outstanding. We can feel proud about having teams come down here to play," Carver remarked.

The Panthers opened the season by hosting Southwest League foe Central of Grand Junction which they won 4-3. They hosted Montrose on Aug. 26 and lost 0-7 in match in which the scores were not indicative of the way the matches went.

The season continues with a trip to Grand Junction this Friday, Sept. 1, and a visit to Fruita-Monument High on Saturday, Sept. 2. Rival Durango comes to town on Sept. 5. The Panthers then compete in the second annual Western Slope Tournament in Grand Junction Sept. 15-16. The Panthers visit Durango on Sept. 19 and then travel to Montrose Sept. 22 and Central Sept. 23. Fruita and Grand Junction High come in on Sept. 29-30, respectively. Regionals is slated Oct. 6-7 in Grand Junction.