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BOYS’ TENNIS PREVIEWS: Greencastle brings experienced squad to final WIC run; numbers game back in South Putnam’s favor ahead of new season
Greencastle
While the Tiger Cubs have constantly had a solid turnout and turnover in their program, the 2024 squad will be in a better position to get off to a good start after returning two singles position and a doubles team with head coach Annette Munoz-Thede pleased with the way the players were focused in to start the new term.
“We have almost all of available players returning but one,” Munoz-Thede said. “We have some great up-and-comers in our six freshmen, along with a sophomore, four juniors and five seniors, all of whom are focused.
“I see a spark in this group and they’re definitely ready for some good tennis. We have some pretty athletic players, good leaders in our seniors, especially Jay (Glotzbach), along with three great volunteer coaches in Scott Riggle, Joel Hammond and Holton Miller, all of whom want to see the program succeed.”
Glotzbach is joined by fellow seniors Kyle Bretlinger, Gabe Dewey, Tristan Norman and Mitch Staggers, along with juniors Zyier Canty, Keita Noro, Naiar Rashid and Luas Stroud, sophomore Griffin Beasley and freshmen Kadin Carpenter-Bond, Harvey Cummings, Liam Grimes, Jonah Horvath, Cayden Scott and Gavin Tyson.
“Griffin is showing a lot of promise and growth,” Munoz-Thede said. “He’s an athlete, smart, very coachable and has the chance to grow as much, if not more, than last year. He’ll be a bigger asset for us this year
“Mitch and Kyle are going to hold a doubles position, whether its No. 1 or No. 2, and are both coming into the season as good leaders and players. They’re both playing smarter, are more focused in practice and have matured coming into this year.
“Keita played some JV, some varsity doubles and a varsity singles match last year and we’ve seen some major improvement from him,” Munoz-Thede added. “Gavin, Harvey and Jonah have all done some previous playing, whether through local camps or in our middle school program, and I’m excited to see if they earn a spot.”
For Greencastle, the 2024 season will be the last in the Western Indiana Conference ahead of moving to the Monon Athletic Conference.
Munoz-Thede said the squad had the chance to climb up the conference ladder this season and go into the new league with momentum at its back.
“This will be the last year we have to play several teams on our schedule and there will need to be some changes next year,” Munoz-Thede said. “We’ll keep South Putnam because they’re in our sectional; everyone has years of great teams and we know that South Putnam has had a run and is due to do it again at some point.
“We want to see Mooresville and Martinsville in the future while we already have four of our new conference teams on our schedule.
“We’ve got good kids out and it’s so nice and pleasant to have a coachable and likeable group of athletes,” Munoz-Thede added. “These kids care about each other, cheer each other on and it’s a good environment to play in.”
South Putnam
For the past couple of seasons, the Eagles have contended with a squad that was a player or two short of a full squad, resulting in the team playing with an arm tied behind its back when it came to trying to win matches.
South Putnam will not have that issue to start the 2024 season with eight members on the roster for head coach Johnnie Briones.
“Last spring, we did a middle school clinic and we had quite a few kids out, including several guys,” Briones said about drumming up members for the team. “The more I do that, the more bodies we can get out here as we plan to do another clinic this fall.
“There were a few matches we were close to winning last year but we just didn’t have that seventh guy. It will make a difference this year.”
The Eagles have three newcomers to go with five returning members of the 2023 squad with Briones pleased with the opening weeks of practice.
“It’s been good,” Briones said. “Even the new guys did a lot over the summer and are really coming around.
“It’s a matter of going out and playing. The more you put into it, the more you get out and their attitudes are good, they’re working hard and I’m exciting for them, especially our younger guys.”
Seniors Luke Hutcheson, Grant Jackman and Braydon Pollack return alongside junior William Schurtter and sophomore Aiden Brinkman, joined by junior Emmitt Shircliff and freshmen Robert Emmerich and Jackson Webster.
“We’ll be competitive,” Briones said. “William has been putting a lot of time in and I’m really excited to see how he does.
“The biggest thing for the guys is going to be the mental part of the game this year. We’re playing some good teams and Greencastle, who we start with, is a very good team.
“If we get down, it’s hard to come back from that so we want to avoid getting into those spots,” Briones added.
Briones was also impressed with both freshmen and their skill level coming in to the season.
“Jackson was really big into pickelball and he’s got good hand-eye coordination,” Briones said. “That’s helped him out a lot and he’s coming around.
“Robert was one I had in camp as a sixth-grader and he’s come around really well. They both have good attitudes and I’m excited for them.”
Having a full roster was a benefit the team had not had the past few seasons and Briones said as the team figures out its lineup, the chance to be in matches from the start would be a boon going into the new campaign.
“Last year, we dealt with our numbers pretty well,” Briones noted. “Nobody was pointing out we were already down a point in a match or anything.
“Everybody just went out, played their match and played to the best of their ability. Mentally, in the back of their mind, they’ll know we’re starting with a full team this year and that will help out a little bit.”