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PITTSBURG —
Every year, high school tennis begins its season before cross country, football, golf, soccer and volleyball.
On Friday evening, Pittsburg took to the PSU Tennis Courts for its annual Purple and White Scrimmage, giving all its players a chance for competition. Head coach John Seal instructed his players beforehand that all matches would be treated like a “real tennis match” and told attending parents that every player would get her chance Friday.
“All our varsity kids are back and the next three are also back,” Seal said. “We have our top nine back and not only that, all our kids have improved over the summer. Katy Short, playing No. 1 singles, has been tremendous. I’m just happy with her. I’m real happy with my doubles right now. I have eight doubles players who can play at a high level. They played today and they played tremendous. We’re talking depth and when you have depth in practice, it’s beginning to show. When you’re challenged in practice, with either play or drills, that’s what happens.”
Seal said that varsity and JV spots are playing themselves out with competition intense at singles and doubles. For example, MaKayla Pichler and Jessica Curlee defeated Laikyn Long and Emily Baden 8-7 and 12-10 in a tiebreaker — both pairings are in the running for No. 1 or No. 2 doubles.
“Practice has been awesome,” Seal said. “Cooler temperatures have helped. But we’re still working and I’m very happy with them. We’ve got eight new faces and we’re wanting to get them in gear and we’re doing that. We’re trying hard. . . . Really hard work this summer from a lot of them.”
When asked for teams to watch for in the Southeast Kansas League this season, Seal had a very simple answer.
“Always Independence and Parsons,” Seal said. “Fort Scott will be good.”
Seal aims for a rigorous, challenging schedule every season and tries building up a program with plenty of playing opportunities for younger players.
“We play at Mill Valley,” Seal said. “Aquinas is in it, Blue Valley North, De Soto, that’s a tough tournament. We’re playing Lamar in two varsity matches where we use our other players and not just our varsity. It’s a varsity-level match where we’re getting other players involved in a varsity-level match. That’s going to help us and we’re looking forward to a (JV) tournament Monday in Fort Scott. We’re playing Independence and Fort Scott and that’s pretty good teams. We’ve got to get ready.”
Pittsburg opens its varsity season Thursday at perennial power Parsons.
Every year, high school tennis begins its season before cross country, football, golf, soccer and volleyball.
On Friday evening, Pittsburg took to the PSU Tennis Courts for its annual Purple and White Scrimmage, giving all its players a chance for competition. Head coach John Seal instructed his players beforehand that all matches would be treated like a “real tennis match” and told attending parents that every player would get her chance Friday.
“All our varsity kids are back and the next three are also back,” Seal said. “We have our top nine back and not only that, all our kids have improved over the summer. Katy Short, playing No. 1 singles, has been tremendous. I’m just happy with her. I’m real happy with my doubles right now. I have eight doubles players who can play at a high level. They played today and they played tremendous. We’re talking depth and when you have depth in practice, it’s beginning to show. When you’re challenged in practice, with either play or drills, that’s what happens.”
Seal said that varsity and JV spots are playing themselves out with competition intense at singles and doubles. For example, MaKayla Pichler and Jessica Curlee defeated Laikyn Long and Emily Baden 8-7 and 12-10 in a tiebreaker — both pairings are in the running for No. 1 or No. 2 doubles.
“Practice has been awesome,” Seal said. “Cooler temperatures have helped. But we’re still working and I’m very happy with them. We’ve got eight new faces and we’re wanting to get them in gear and we’re doing that. We’re trying hard. . . . Really hard work this summer from a lot of them.”
When asked for teams to watch for in the Southeast Kansas League this season, Seal had a very simple answer.
“Always Independence and Parsons,” Seal said. “Fort Scott will be good.”
Seal aims for a rigorous, challenging schedule every season and tries building up a program with plenty of playing opportunities for younger players.
“We play at Mill Valley,” Seal said. “Aquinas is in it, Blue Valley North, De Soto, that’s a tough tournament. We’re playing Lamar in two varsity matches where we use our other players and not just our varsity. It’s a varsity-level match where we’re getting other players involved in a varsity-level match. That’s going to help us and we’re looking forward to a (JV) tournament Monday in Fort Scott. We’re playing Independence and Fort Scott and that’s pretty good teams. We’ve got to get ready.”
Pittsburg opens its varsity season Thursday at perennial power Parsons.
