Numbers not a problem for Fort Scott tennis

FORT SCOTT -- Numbers and experience shouldn't be problems for Fort Scott High School's boys tennis team this season. Head coach Lynn Barr has 21 players out with five of them having varsity experience.

Three seniors and two juniors have varsity experience and are expected to be in the six that Barr will send to Independence, Kan., Tuesday for a season-opening varsity tournament. The seniors are Charlie Sercer, Dustin Willard and Kai Simmons-Mims. The juniors are Ben Bristley and Colton Grillott. Barr also anticipates taking sophomore Kyle Altic to Indy.

As for what spots they'll be in, that may not be determined until after Monday's practice.

"I've kind of had some ideas," Barr said. "One day, I think I'll have it figured out. Then I think about it and maybe another way sounds right. I don't think a lineup will be set firm for the first couple of weeks. We'll maybe do some experimenting with the lineup."

Willard has been a full-time varsity player the past two seasons and also played some varsity as a freshmen. He played mostly doubles last season. Simmons-Mims and Sercer -- who didn't go out for tennis until last season -- have experience in both singles and doubles.

Bristley is a second-year varsity player who played mostly singles last year. Grillott will be on his third season on the varsity and was mostly a singles player last year. This will be the first extensive varsity experience for Altic.

Barr noted that it was also likely that senior Kholton Dwyer, juniors Dillon Peel and Kyle Kelly and sophomore Bryce Dailey might also see some varsity time early in the season.

Also on the roster are senior Jimmy Cox, sophomores Wyatt Hulbert, Matt Hull and Michael Flater and freshmen Davis Drake, Brett Allen, Austin Sather, Austin Rogers and Hayden Barr, who is Lynn's son. There are also two exchange students who went out for the team: Leonardo Martins and Alex Ho.

Other than the exchange students and freshmen, all of the other players return from last season with experience at least at the junior varsity level.

"This is a pretty good number," Barr noted. "Fifteen to 21 is not bad. It's always great to have kids playing. We can have this number and keep everybody busy. If the weather cooperates this year, we can get everyone into a tournament at some point."

The Tigers practiced for two weeks before taking off for spring break. They will practice again Monday before going to Independence.

"We had two good weeks of practice," Barr said. "We lost a couple of days before spring break. Wednesday (the 10th) it rained and we got in a half day Thursday. Then we let them off for spring break because they get all over the place. But we'd made some improvement and I think we will continue to get better. We have young players with potential and veteran players with experience."

As far as the Southeast Kansas League goes, Barr said "Independence is the favorite to win the league" before the first question was asked. Naturally, when a program has won the last nine league championships and no worse than a share of 20 of the past 21 titles, it's going to be expected to be on top again (Since 1989, Pittsburg's title is 2000 is the only one Indy has not claimed at least a share).

"They graduated several players," Barr said of the Bulldogs, "at least three or four. But there's always just somebody else there to step in. The rest of the league should be intersting. It could be really competitive. I think it will be pretty close. Parsons has really good kids coming back. Iola will have Kent Toland back. You have Coffeyville and Pittsburg, they're going to do well."

Tuesday's tournament is set to begin at 3 p.m. at Independence. The first junior varsity match will be Thursday at Parsons.

Fort Scott's junior varsity invitational will be held April 19. The home varsity tournament will be played April 24.