Park Hill junior Will Rouse partnered with Bond Pasley to win a doubles match via tiebreak against Platte County.
The Park Hill boys tennis team is off to an 8-5 start this season, and while they have already surpassed the total losses they had all of last season, they remain optimistic about a postseason run.
The Trojans have two tournament championships, including the Platte County Tournament and Park Hill Doubles Tournament. Recent results have been less favorable, although they hope to find an extra gear heading towards postseason play.
The tennis season is picking up pace with Park Hill competing in eight events over the past two weeks. Proceedings started well with a conference-opening road sweep of Oak Park on April 6 before taking out Blue Springs South on April 8 by a 6-3 score.
Park Hill’s win at the Park Hill Doubles Tournament came on April 8, defeating Barstow, Liberty North, Grain Valley and Park Hill South. The Trojans ended the week with an 8-1 defeat to Rockhurst, the team’s second loss this season.
Park Hill freshman Lane Marshall against Platte County.
More recent slip-ups could cause some concern, but also optimism.
The Trojans started last week off on April 14 with a 6-3 defeat to Pembroke Hill, a team they have never beaten. The Trojans took two of three double matches with the freshmen tandem of Alex Kalis and Lane Marshall winning 8-3 at No. 2 doubles, and seniors Cody Phan and Bond Pasley narrowly winning 9-8(3) at No. 3 doubles. Junior Carter Lovitt was the only Trojan to win a singles match with an 8-3 decision, although Kalis and Marshall were both within two.
A day later, the Trojans mixed up the lineup and fell in a 5-4 nail-biter to Platter County. The duo of Kalis and Marshall moved up to No. 1 doubles and came from behind to pick up an 8-6 win, while Pasley partnered with junior Will Rouse at No. 2 doubles to edge out a 9-8(9-5) win. Kalis and Marshall starred at the top of the Trojans’ singles lineup, with Kalis earning an 8-0 sweep at No. 1 singles and Marshall winning 8-2 at No. 2 singles.
Park Hill returned to conference action on April 15, where they narrowly fell once more to Liberty 5-4 for a fourth consecutive defeat. The Trojans scored two doubles victories out of the gate with the top tandem of Lovitt and Drew Miller getting back in the win column with an 8-4 triumph, while Phan and Pasley squeezed out a 9-8(7-3) victory at No. 3 doubles. The Trojans were not as successful in singles, where Kalis won 8-5 at No. 3 singles and Marshall won at No. 4 singles 8-2.
Park Hill senior Kai Soo in his varsity match against Platte County on April 14.
Park Hill returned to winning ways against North Kansas City on April 16, winning 7-2 at Macken Park with a heavily rotated lineup. The Trojans swept doubles with Rouse partnering with senior Devin Witzke to take No. 1 doubles 8-2, followed by senior Kai Soo and Jack Rawson winning 8-5 at No. 2 doubles and the No. 3 doubles team of junior Theo Kretsinger and sophomore Parker Dennis winning 8-4. Witzke led the singles effort with an 8-2 win at No. 1 singles, followed by Kretsinger winning 9-8(7-4) at No. 4, Dennis winning 8-1 at No. 5 and Rawson winning 8-5 at No. 5.
The recent slip-ups could cause some concern, but also optimism. Kalis and Marshall have immediately taken on critical roles as freshmen for the Trojans while others have also gotten vital experience at the varsity level.
Park Hill will celebrate Senior Night on April 22 against Lee’s Summit North before a rivalry clash against Park Hill South on April 23. The Trojans’ final tournament test will come on April 25 at the Suburban Northland Tournament at Oak Park.