Boys tennis team ready to make noise

Boys tennis team ready to make noise

Aug 18, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

For the third time in three years, there will be a new head coach at Montezuma-Cortez High School guiding the boys tennis team. Well, sort of, anyway.

Ricky Carver had the team four years ago and then relinquished it three seasons ago to Jeff Bollinger who was coach for a season before losing his job and taken over by Carver last season. And now assistant Jim Harkendorff has been promoted to the top job.

He has run the tennis lessons for the City of Cortez Parks and Recreation Department for the past several years. Now he will get the chance to coach the boys tennis team at Montezuma-Cortez High School. Harkendorff moved to the community in 1978 and retired in 1999 as a civil engineer with the Bureau of Reclamation. He then started a tennis business where he is sales representative for Prince racquets, accessories, and sportswear.

Harkendorff was first to recognize the hard work of Carver.

Look for the Panthers to be well-schooled in the fundamentals of the game of tennis.

"I like to teach the basics. I have been running the summer tennis lessons program for the City of Cortez Parks and Recreation Department. Although I have only played recreational tennis, I have been playing it since I was in high school. I will show them what I can and try to help them accomplish their goals.

"Every player has their certain strong points about the game. I just want to help refine their skills. Whatever they do best then we will concentrate on that and then help them in areas where they are lacking in skills. I will try to take each kid on a case by case basis. I want to help them accomplish their style of play," Harkendorff remarked.

Junior singles player Jeff Anderson looks to make a run at finishing strong at Regionals and perhaps making a run at State. Anderson moved up from no. 3 to no. 2 singles, at least right now. Competing at the no. 1 singles for this first trip is Billy Innis. There was a playoff for the no. 3 singles spot in a challenge playoff between junior Troy Tanner and senior J.C. Keetso.

"Innis is a senior and has a lot of experience coming into the season. He played a lot of tennis this past summer. He played a tournament in Farmington and won the A division. Anderson has had good practices and is hitting the ball well. He’s a good athlete and he’s already improved from last year.

The loser of the playoff will join senior David Wilcken as the top doubles team. No. 2 doubles will be junior Devin Perkins and sophomore Noah Rouscher. No. 3 doubles will be senior Sean Carey and junior Mark Sturdevant. No. 4 doubles will be freshman Seth Kollar and senior Jake Conrad.

"Conrad is out for the first time and he has only been playing tennis a short time. But he’s already doing real well and he’s made big improvements, good enough to land on the no. 4 doubles team. Wilcken, Perkins, and Carey are veteran players. None of the doubles team have played together so this first weekend will be a learning process. But they still have until the sixth match of the season to challenge up the ladder after that the positions are set," Harkendorff commented.

"With only 11 players (enough to fill a team) we are not deep," he added. "We can’t afford injuries or academic ineligibilities. As a coach, I can’t tell them enough and stress the fact they have got to keep up their grades."

The Panthers opened the season Friday afternoon, Aug. 17, at Fruita and then travel to Montrose today at 10 a.m. They visit rival Durango on Aug. 21 before finally returning home Aug. 24-25 for matches against Grand Junction High and Central of Grand Junction, respectively.

They make a return battle against those schools Aug. 31-Sept. 1. They compete in the annual Western Slope Tournament Sept. 14-15.

Fruita-Monument comes in to town Sept. 21 and Montrose follows the next day. Durango comes in on Sept. 29.

Regionals is slated Oct. 5-6 in Grand Junction. State is set for Denver Oct. 11-13.

Harkendorff said he wanted to invite the community to come out see, "some really good tennis this season. I invite the community to come and watch these players."