Free State High's tennis team might struggle on the courts this season, but one place the Firebirds probably would thrive is on the ice?
"It is pretty interesting," FSHS tennis coach Jon Renberger said of having three players from Free State's club hockey team on board. "We could match up on the ice with any of the other tennis teams and probably take care of them."
The tennis team might be taken care of Tuesday as it opens the season against defending Class 6A state champion Shawnee Mission South. Free State's home dual is 3 p.m. at the FSHS courts.
In addition to hockey-players-turned-netters Jonathan Ewing, David Knight and Matt Schwaubauer, the Firebirds return just two of their top six players in senior Spencer Hilt and junior Rishi Surana, who teamed at No. 2 doubles last season.
Free State lost nine seniors from last year's squad, including the doubles duo of Matt Axcell and Sam Borge, which finished 18-5 and placed fourth at the Class 6A state tournament last year. Jeremy Goode, who would have been a senior, transferred to Pittsburg.
"We're certainly not as experienced and not as deep as we have been," Renberger said, "but we do have a number of solid young players who I know are going to develop this year and gain that needed experience. I think that this year's team is going to lay a pretty solid foundation for success for years to come."
Hilt, who joins Kevin Stamer as the Firebirds' lone seniors, is looking forward to being a leader.
"I like being the head of the team, one of the older guys and stuff," Hilt said. "It feels like I've got strong expectations, being the only one returning player as a senior."
After Hilt and Surana, sophomores Alan Martinez, Ben Cropp, Eyad Safadi and Schwaubauer round out the top six. Other players among the top 10 are juniors Drew Smith and Nick Potter who both earned letters last year as sophomores and sophomores Eric Sheu and Kyle O'Neal.
While some teams might see the lack of varsity experience as a hindrance, the Firebirds view it as positive.
"It's exciting knowing that they're only going to get better through the season, the next year and the year after," Renberger said of the assortment of sophomores. "I am concerned in that we're in an area in the state where we're playing a lot of the top schools. The Sunflower League and Topeka schools put forth a lot of the top players in the area. Being a 6A program if we were even a 5A school we'd be highly competitive, but because we're playing the top schools in the state with young, inexperienced players we need to be patient with that."
Patience won't be a problem.
"I think the good thing is our guys are well aware of our situation," Renberger said. "They know we don't have a lot of big guns at the top and they know we're going to take some hits because of that. But they're great guys, enthusiastic."
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