Kentridge tennis squad is team to beat in SPSL North

They put a perfect record into the books last season, and seem confident they can do it again.

That part about the Kentridge High boys tennis team remains to be seen. But this part seems clear: The road to the South Puget Sound League North Division title definitely runs through KR’s courts.

“We’re close, but they’re better than us. We’re young,” said Jefferson coach Andrew Buchan, whose team is mentioned most frequently as the one which can give the Chargers a run for it. “Until someone can play them close at 3-2, no one is in the same breath at Kentridge.”

Added Kentwood coach Ingrid Bakke, “On tennis skill alone, it’s Kentridge. But Andrew (Buchan) does an amazing job of getting his kids fired up. When kids are playing with heart and no fear, it’s going to be a battle.”

Coming off a 12-0 campaign in the fall, then qualifying five players for the Class 4A state tournament in the spring, the Chargers still have enough tools in their box to make a run at back-to-back division crowns. Jefferson no doubt will have something to say about it. Ditto for Kentwood. And TJ gets a shot at Kentridge on Wednesday, following Monday’s season openers.

“Jefferson is the competition,” said Kentridge’s Vineeth Omkaram, a junior who teamed with classmate Paul Yi to earn a state berth in doubles last May. “We’re just going step by step.”

The Chargers will be taking those steps without now-graduated Zack AhYat and Luyang Gai, two-time state finalists in doubles and sixth-place finishers last season.

But not only are Omkaram and Yi back in the fold, so is junior Matt Overland, part of a bevy of juniors that not only dominate KR’s roster, but are predominant through the entire North. In a division that includes two-time defending state singles champion Max Manthou of Kentwood – another junior – Overland has emerged as a standout in his own right.

Want proof?

His third-place state singles medal last spring is plenty.

“I’ve been practicing my serve for an hour every day,” Overland said. “My serve has really improved.”

Omkaram and Yi found a very competitive groove last season. They finished fourth in the league tournament to qualify for district, then won four out of five in West Central play – including a pair of loser-out matches – to snag a spot at state.

It was all more than Yi thought possible when he and Omkaram paired up.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” he said.

The prospect of beating Manthou is as difficult as ever, although Kentridge’s AhYat and Howard Lin managed to do it in a doubles match last season. But virtually every player in the division will say without hesitation, “Max is Max.”

Manthou played in several national-caliber tournaments this summer, one of which was the USTA National Championship at Kalamazoo, Mich., in early August. He won four of his six matches there before bowing out in a three-setter. Last weekend, he swept through five matches to win a tournament in Tacoma.

“He has been looking real good,” Bakke said. “He went to Kalamazoo and did much better there than in past years.”

The North takes on a new “old look” this fall with the return of Auburn and Auburn Riverside to the 4A ranks.

The last time the perennially powerful Ravens swung their rackets on North Division courts in 2005, they racked up a 13-0 record to claim the crown. During their two years in SPSL 3A, they won the league title in 2006, and were second behind Sumner in 2007.

The Ravens graduated eight players, five of them with district experience. Many of those taking their spots might be new to varsity, but coach Bruce Diehl says they’ve all played plenty of tennis.

“All the kids did summer work, and we’re just a good, solid team,” Diehl said. “We’re just running the crap out of them. We may not be the best team in the league, but we’ll be the fittest team in the league. I want to be a spoiler.”

With that in mind, Kentridge coach Bob Armstrong likes his team’s chances, but also recognizes that it’s far from just a one-team race.

“We’re solid – I don’t think as much as (we were) last year, but we’re still solid,” he said. “We have some young players, and we just have to see how the younger players perform.”

SPSL NORTH TENNIS

Favorite – Kentridge.

Contenders – Jefferson, Kentwood.

Sleepers – Auburn, Auburn Riverside.

Last year’s standings – Kentridge 12-0, Jefferson 10-3, Kentwood 10-4, Federal Way 7-4, Tahoma 5-9, Kentlake 4-9, Decatur 3-10, Kent-Meridian 0-12. (NOTE: Because of rainouts that were not made up, not every team completed its 14-match schedule.)

Outlook – Kentridge is a consensus favorite – but not an overwhelming one. The Chargers return three of the five players who went to state last spring: Matt Overland in singles (third place), and the doubles team of Paul Yi and Vineeth Omkaram (did not place). Overland is regarded as the second-best player in the division behind two-time defending state champion Max Manthou of Kentwood, and is one of those who can actually slug it out with him groundstroke for groundstroke, though Manthou ultimately shows why he’s a cut above the rest. Add to that players such as Garrett Ballou and Donald Hall, (both juniors), senior Christian Ohno and sophomore Howard Lin, all varsity veterans, and it’s understandable why KR has the favorite’s role. But Jefferson also returns most of its roster, including district qualifiers Joe Lee and Branden Muraki, both juniors, and sophomore Makoa Rosa, who was the only freshman boy from the SPSL to make the district draw. He will be joined this year by his freshman brother, Kainoa. Kentwood is always in the mix, and the Conquerors typically can count on a point from Manthou before they even take the court. Auburn Riverside, which won the SPSL North title in 2005 before leaving for a two-year stint in Class 3A, graduated most of the familiar names that teamed up for an SPSL 3A title in 2006 and a runner-up finish in 2007. But the Ravens have a strong JV program, and many of the top players there are ready to slide into varsity positions and keep AR competitive.

Notable – Overland and Manthou met four times last year. Manthou won 6-3, 6-1 during the regular season, 6-0, 6-1 in the SPSL tournament, 6-0, 6-0 in the district quarterfinals, and 6-3, 6-1 in the state semifinals. … Auburn’s Travis Hanley and Josh Jeter qualified for the Class 3A state tournament in doubles last spring. Hanley and Jeter prevailed in a winner-to-state, loser-out match for the seventh and final qualifying spot out of West Central District. They came up short in both of their state matches.

FIVE TO WATCH

Grade/name School

Jr. Max Manthou Kentwood

Notable: He’s the two-time defending state singles champion. Any questions?

Jr. Matt Overland Kentridge

Notable: Hard, accurate hitter who has emerged as the North’s best player – after Max.

Jr. Joe Lee Jefferson

Notable: Went 4-1 in singles, and teamed with Brendan Muraki to earn a district bid in doubles.

Jr. Garrett Ballou Kentridge

Notable: Played primarily in the No. 2 singles spot, but went 7-0, then took fourth in the league tournament to make district.

Sr. Jake Stewart Federal Way

Notable: Solid and steady, 7-3 during the regular season at the No. 1 spot, qualified for district.

Can’t-miss matches – Sept. 10: Kentridge at Jefferson. OK, so who’s really the favorite? This one could go a long way toward providing the answer. (Rematch Oct. 1 at Kentridge.) Sept. 12: Jefferson at Auburn Riverside. Are the Ravens a spoiler – or a bona fide contender? (Rematch Oct. 3 at Jefferson.) Sept. 19: Auburn at Auburn Riverside. Both of these teams are potential sleepers in the division title chase. (Rematch Oct. 10 at Auburn.) Sept. 22: Kentridge at Kentwood. Fierce, but respectful rivalry. Always an impact match, too. (Rematch Oct. 13 at Kentridge.)