Now he's on his own

Fort Scott High senior Stephen Buntain practices at the high school courts Tuesday afternoon. Buntain will be going to the Kansas Class 4A State Tennis Tournament at Prairie Village this weekend. Play begins Friday with final rounds scheduled for Saturday. (Tribune photo/Scott Nuzum)

First, squeegee the court. Then, get ready for State.

That was the order of things for Fort Scott High School senior Stephen Buntain Tuesday afternoon as he and a few of his teammates moved water off the high school court so that he could practice in advance of this weekend's Class 4A State Tennis Tournament, which will be held at Harmon Park Tennis Center in Prairie Village, a suburb in Johnson County.

And he needed to get the practice in Tuesday since the forecast was not a bit favorable for today.

Buntain was a State qualifier last season with doubles partner Bryce Hart, who was then a senior himself. Moved to singles this season, Buntain earned another State berth by finishing fourth in a tough bracket in Friday's Independence Regional.

"It feels pretty good," Buntain said before practice about hit return to State. "My main goal this year was to get back to State and do it on my own. Last year, I had a really good doubles partner."

Buntain, who has been a member of the varsity team since his freshman season, has extensive experience in both singles and doubles but says he prefers singles.

"I like it a little bit more," Buntain said. "It's all on me. If I mess up I have no one to blame but myself. It's kind of a better feeling for me. I've always been kind of a singles player."

The competition level in southeast Kansas, especially considering how dominant Independence has been, has helped Buntain prepare for the competition level that is expected this weekend.

"I feel ready for the most part," Buntain said. "I haven't really seen some of the better players as much as I like. But they are good competition to get ready.

"I really have no idea who I'll be playing first. I know it will be somebody good. We (don't) get seeded (until) the tournament."

Buntain and Hart finished second in the state last year. However, the singles bracket this year is expected to be fairly deep. Buntain expects that it will be fairly tough to make it to the medal rounds.

"My expectations aren't too high really," Buntain said. "I'm just hoping to maybe make it past the first round or not to get last."

Buntain doesn't expect to continue playing in college, so this weekend will mark the end of his competitive career.

"I think this will be the last time out in a major way," he said. "But I'll play it for fun."

When asked to reflect over his career, Buntain noted how the team as a whole has improved since his freshman season.

"We've had a good four years," Buntain said. "The past three years, we've had a really good team. And we've had fun."