10 local players to watch this season
TOPEKA — The tennis season is beginning to take shape in the early moments of the spring. New players will take to the court along with some experienced veterans.
Topeka West won last year's state championship. The Chargers bring back an important nucleus of talent as they try to repeat as champions. Let's take a look at some of the top boys tennis players from the Topeka area.
Drew Fay, Cair Paravel
The sophomore returns for the Lions this year in the program's second season in existence. Fay finished last year with a 20-12 record and he qualified for the Class 1-3A State Tournament where he accumulated a record of 2-2.
Evan George, Hayden
The junior will be a key player for the Wildcats as he stars on the singles side of play.
Joseph Luke, Hayden
The senior enters as one of the top players for the Wildcats this season. Luke enjoyed a fifth-place finish in last year's state championship doubles tournament. He will look to get back to the state finale this season.
Henry Guerra, Highland Park
The senior will be one of the top players for the Scots this year. He enters as one of the top options on the singles side of play.
Cristian Reyes, Highland Park
The sophomore is looking for a breakout season for Highland Park. He is another top player on the singles side for the Scots.
James Maag, Topeka West
The senior finished in 11th place in last year's state championship singles tournament. Maag's performance lifted the Chargers to winning the state championship. He was also key in helping Topeka West win the conference title and regional title in last year's fantastic season.
One weekend down, two to go. The opening salvo in this year's NCAA men's tournament ended with many of the bracket's best teams still alive as we turn the corner to the Sweet 16. While there were enough upsets to go around, the first weekend has been defined by powerhouse performances from many national favorites, led by No. 1 seeds Connecticut and Purdue.
Then there's the SEC's postseason thud. The conference strutted into the tournament with massive expectations but has just two teams left standing from the eight that started. On the other end of spectrum are the ACC and Big East, which will have a combined seven teams in the Sweet 16. Here's a look at the biggest stories from the first two
Caden McGee, Topeka West
The senior was another player on last season’s state championship-winning team. He teamed up with Caleb Weybrew to take ninth place in the doubles bracket.
Caleb Weybrew, Topeka West
The senior’s experience in last year’s state championship-winning team will be a huge boost this year. He secured ninth place in the doubles bracket of the state tournament last season with McGee.
Dylan Dodge, Washburn Rural
The senior and Ottawa University Arizona commit will bring loads of experience into the new with the Junior Blues. Dodge helped Washburn Rural win the regional title last season and take seventh place at the state tournament.
Lawson Labatos, Washburn Rural
The senior will be another force for the Junior Blues this season. His experience will be crucial in Washburn Rural’s hopes of qualifying for the state tournament once again.
Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com.