Panther boys tennis players play well at Western Slope

Panther boys tennis players play well at Western Slope

Sept. 23, 2000

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

There must be a mental block for the Panther boys tennis team when they play at Durango.

"We never have played very good over there," MCHS head coach Ricky Carver said. "I wasn’t too upset at the loss. We have such a young team this year."

The Panthers lost 0-7 to the Demons at DHS High School on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

One of the better matches on the day was no. 4 doubles. Sean Carey and Chance Harrison fell to Pat Minot and Craig McCormick 3-6, 0-6.

"For a young team, they are playing pretty good tennis right now. They are hustling and coming to the net. They need to watching hitting those high volleys because the other team ends up slamming it back. But they are improving all the time," Carver said.

No. 1 singles player J.C. Keetso lost to Durango’s Adam Sanders 0-6, 0-6.

"Adam spent the summer at that big tennis academy. He is a strong player. He beat the Cherry Creek player at the Western Slope Tournament," Carver noted.

No. 2 singles Billy Innis fell to Durango’s Adrian Muller 1-6, 0-6. Innis has been sick lately and he just did not play a good game, according to Carver. No. 3 singles Jeff Anderson lost 1-6, 1-6 to Durango’s Kirk Volger.

"He played pretty well. He did a lot of good things, including his serving. But Durango hit some hard angles on returns," Carver remarked.

The Panther no. 1 doubles duo of Gerald Keetso and Kegan Moore lost 0-6, 2-6 to Colin Speer and Gabriel Muller. Carver said his players came to the net but they found themselves in no-man’s land. They also need to move their feet more and volley better.

No. 2 doubles Troy Tanner and Noah Rauscher lost to Durango’s Lance Acury and Jesse Mattie 0-6, 1-6.

"This team is struggling right now," Carver noted. "They need to get in better position on the court. They also find themselves in no-man’s land when the ball is returned."

Panther No. 3 doubles David Wilcken and Devin Perkins lost 1-6, 0-6 to Ben Schler and Kevin Gates. The Panther players missed a lot of their first serves. Durango crushed the second easier one.

The Panthers competed last weekend at the Western Slope Invitational.

Cherry Creek's boys won the meet, only days before seeing their 316 regular season match winning streak (dating back to 1972, longest such streak in any prep sport across the country) come to an end three days earlier (5-2 to Wheat Ridge). The Bruins, who easily won the state team title last year, lost seven to graduation as well as a returning player to a knee injury, leaving only three Hagan, returners with varsity experience.

Cherry Creek won the individual titles at all four doubles positions to lead the tournament with 30 team points.

In an interesting match, according to Carver, Grand Junction’s no. 1 singles player Nathan Bridges lost in three sets to Steamboat Springs' Rich Tifti, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-1. J.C. Keetso lost to the Junction player to open the tourney. Keetso, on a playback, defeated a Delta player 6-2, 6-1 but then lost to Cherry Creek.

Innis lost to Pueblo South but defeated Hotchkiss 6-3, 6-0 during playbacks but fell to Pueblo Centennial in a pro set 5-8 because of darkness. Anderson lost to Pueblo South, defeated Paonia 6-2, 6-0 and then lost to Montrose.

Gerald Keetso-Moore lost to Pueblo South and Pueblo Centennial. Tanner-Rauscher fell to Cherry Creek, beat Delta 6-4, 7-5 and then lost to Aspen. Wilcken-Perkins lost to Pueblo South, beat Aspen 7-5, 6-3, and lost to Montrose. Carey-Harrison won by forfeit for their first match, lost to Cherry Creek, beat Aspen 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, and lost to Montrose.

"What this tournament showed me is that we can compete with schools such as Delta, Aspen, and Hotchkiss from our Region. We need to step it up against Montrose and Steamboat Springs. But I think we can do well at Regionals in a few weeks if we continue to work hard and improve," Carver added.

The Panthers played Montrose Friday afternoon, Sept. 22, and will play at Central of Grand Junction at 10 a.m. today, Sept. 23. They host Fruita-Monument at 4 p.m. Sept. 29 and then host Grand Junction High at 10 a.m. Sept. 30 at the new Parque de Vida Tennis Courts. Regionals, set for Grand Junction, will be Oct. 6-7.