The boys’ tennis team is gearing up for their spring season. Only two seniors graduated last year, so Coach Joe Brooks is excited to see an experienced team return. Five varsity members are returning which should give the team a strong core. Assisting the boys’ team for the third year is Harmon Deal. Both coaches recently attended an IHSA training session and came back with new drills and strategies, which they hope will help the team.
The boys kick off their season on Tuesday, April 2, against Macomb. The season consists of 12 head-to-head dual meets and four invitational tournaments. The JHS tennis team uses the Illinois College tennis court complex for all their home meets. In addition, the CS8 tournament will be held in May and sectionals is the week after. The top four singles players and four top doubles teams from sectionals will advance to the state meet.
The varsity tennis team consists of six singles players. Five of these players are returning and bring a lot of experience to the court. The coaches believe that practice and tournament play is the best way to improve tennis skills and this year’s team has done plenty of that. Coaches Brooks and Deal are excited for what the season will hold. They believe that there is a lot of potential for the underclassmen to get playing time and really make an impact on the team. Almost all of the players play other sports as well and these athletic abilities are really reflected on the tennis court.
There will be five home meets for the team this year, and they would love to have spectators come out and root them on. Singles matches are played first and doubles follow. Be sure to check the JHS website for dates and times.