Knights' doubles team stays together after successful '07
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By RON POWELL / Lincoln Journal Star
Tim Tidball has never been afraid to shake up his tournament lineup, but the Lincoln Southeast boys tennis coach is starting this season with the status quo, at least for now.
Tidball’s late 2007 season experiment of moving Seth Garnett from No. 1 singles to No. 1 doubles with Seth Shimerda proved successful. The Knight duo finished 10-3 and took second at the Class A state tournament, enough to convince Tidball to keep the juniors together.
“It just makes sense to pick up where we left off,” said Tidball, whose team finished fourth in the state meet last fall. “They’re (Garnett and Shimerda) a nice combination on the court because they know each other so well and their games feed off each other.”
Christian
Coach: Lucas Megrue. Returning letterwinners: Jacob Gipson, sr.; Collin Henslee, sr.; Matt Saffee, jr.; Rafael Pennella, sr.; Danny Garay, sr.; Nathan Lowe, jr.; Andrew Reinke, jr. Others to watch: Phillip Zach, jr.; Levi Gipson, fr.
Outlook: With four players back who were quarterfinalists at state last year, the Crusaders could be a Class B contender. Jacob Gipson went 26-9 at No. 1 singles a year ago, Pennella was 26-11 at No. 2.
Schedule: (home matches at Nebraska Tennis Center) Aug. 28 -- Beatrice; 30 -- Grand Island Central Catholic Invitational; Sept. 2 -- Mount Michael Benedictine; 4 -- at Nebraska City; 9 -- at Pius X; 15 -- Lincoln East Invitational; 16 -- York; 18 -- at Waverly; 20 -- Lexington Invitational; 26 -- Beatrice Invitational; 27 -- Pius X Invitational; 30 -- Elkhorn; Oct. 3 -- York Invitational; 9 -- Nebraska City; 10 -- Elkhorn Invitational; 16-17 -- Class B state tournament at Nebraska Tennis Center, Lincoln.
East
Coach: Jeff Hoham. Returning letterwinners: Ross Schulenberg, sr.; Tim Dorabos, jr.; Sam Tipton, jr. Others to watch: Zach Northey, so.; Court Clark, fr.; Drew Rawlings, fr.; Jake Dunlap, fr.; Phil Horn, sr.; Jon Geier, sr.; Trey Pringle, jr.; Michael Yoder, jr.
Outlook: Schulenberg, a state semifinalist at No. 1 doubles in 2007, is the lone starter back from last year’s Class A state championship team. But Northey raised his game playing men’s open singles tournaments this summer, and Clark won the 14-and-under title earlier this month at the Nebraska Junior Closed State Championships.
Schedule: Aug. 28 -- Omaha Burke/Southeast triangular; Sept. 2 -- Southwest; 5 -- North Star; 9 -- Capital City Invitational (Woods); 11 -- Fremont; 13 -- Fremont Invitational; 15 -- Lincoln East Invitational; 18 -- Northeast; 25 -- at Pius X; 29 -- Omaha Westside Invitational; 30 -- at Waverly; Oct. 1 -- Southeast; 3 -- Heartland Conference Tournament at Woods Tennis Center; 6 -- Lincoln High; 16-17 -- Class A state tournament at Koch Family Tennis Center, Omaha.
Lincoln High
Coach: Steve Ward. Returning letterwinners: Michael Hart, sr.; Taylor Bailey, sr.; Alan Ogden, sr.; Jim Lodes, sr. Others to watch: Michael Jensen, sr.; Jared Shook, sr.; Connor Schley, so.; Jon Sands, so.
Outlook: Ogden (No. 2 singles in 2007) and Hart (No. 2 doubles) are returning starters.
Schedule: Aug. 30 -- Lincoln High/Northeast Invitational; Sept. 3 -- North Star; 5 -- at Fremont; 9 -- Grand Island (at Nebraska Tennis Center); 11 -- at Hastings; 13 -- Millard West Invitational; 17 -- Southeast; 22 -- Papillion-La Vista Invitational; 23 -- Northeast; 26 -- North Star Invitational; Oct. 2 -- Pius X; 3 -- Heartland Conference at Woods; 6 -- Lincoln East; 8 -- Southwest; 16-17 -- Class A state tournament at Koch Family Tennis Center, Omaha.
Northeast
Coach: Ed Boehle. Returning letterwinners: Jake Widman, sr.; Tom Schroeder, sr.; Vinh Nguyen, jr. Others to watch: Brady Hopwood, so.; Matt Schwindt, so.; Jon Hawkins, so.; Eric Lott, so.; Alex Thorsen, so.; Kurt Berchtold, so.; Sean Thomes, so.; Derek Knezovich, so.; John Wissink, so.
Outlook: The Rockets must replace graduated No. 1 singles player Nathan Hoppe, but they have three starters back: Widman at No. 2 singles last year; Schroeder, No. 1 and 2 doubles; and Nguyen, No. 2 doubles.
Schedule: Aug. 30 -- Lincoln High/Northeast Invitational; Sept. 4 -- Southeast; 6 -- Kearney Doubles Invitational; 11 -- at Grand Island; 13 -- Millard West Invitational; 18 -- Lincoln East; 22 -- Papillion-La Vista Invitational; 23 -- Lincoln High; 24 -- Southwest; 26 -- North Star Invitational; Oct. 1 -- North Star (at Nebraska Tennis Center); 3 -- Heartland Conference at Woods; 6 -- Papillion-La Vista South/North Star triangular (at Nebraska Tennis Center); 9 -- at Pius X; 10 -- Fremont; 16-17 -- Class A state tournament at Koch Family Tennis Center, Omaha.
North Star
Coach: Nate Renter. Returning letterwinners: Khang Pham, sr.; Nguyen Nguyen, sr.; Ngac Mai, sr.; Lam Hoang, sr.; Simon Nguyen, jr. Others to watch: Kyle Podwinski, Jr.; Donald Pham, jr.
Outlook: Four of last year’s six starters at state are back. Pham played No. 1 doubles a year ago; Hoang was at No. 2 singles. Simon Nguyen and Nguyen Nguyen made up the No. 2 doubles team.
Schedule: Aug. 30 -- Papillion-La Vista South Invitational; Sept. 3 -- Lincoln High; 5 -- Lincoln East; 10 -- Southwest; 13 -- Millard West Invitational; 15 -- East Invitational; 18 -- at Fremont/Southwest triangular; 20 -- Bellevue West Invitational; 22 -- Papillion-La Vista Invitational; 25 -- Grand Island; 26 -- North Star Invitational; 29 -- Southeast; Oct. 1 -- Northeast (at Nebraska Tennis Center); 3 -- Heartland Conference at Woods; 6 -- Northeast/Papillion-La Vista South triangular (at Nebraska Tennis Center); 16-17 -- Class A state tournament at Koch Family Tennis Center, Omaha.
Pius X
Coach: Bill Rice. Returning letterwinners: Kyle Conzemius, sr.; Andy Rice, sr.; Garrett Sutton, jr. Others to watch: Cheney Neesen, sr.; Zach Peed, jr.; Ryan Slattery, jr.; Jeff Slattery, jr.; Brandon Otoski, jr.; Brian Harshman, so.; Nick Jenkins, so.; Ted Kirpatrick, so.; Vinnie Warner, so.; Trevor Milburn, fr.
Outlook: Three starters are back from last year’s third-place team at the Class B state tournament. Conzemius, 18-11 in 2007, reached the state quarterfinals, while Sutton (25-6) was the runner-up at No. 2 singles. Rice was part of a third-place No. 2 doubles team.
Schedule: Aug. 28 -- at Elkhorn; Sept. 4 -- Lincoln Christian; 9 -- Capital City Invitational at Woods; 11 -- at Omaha Skutt; 16 -- Mount Michael Benedictine; 18 -- Grand Island Central Catholic; 20 -- Omaha Skutt Invitational; 22 -- York; 25 -- Lincoln East; 27 -- Pius X Invitational; 30 -- Nebraska City; Oct. 2 -- Lincoln High; 7 -- Southeast; 9 -- Northeast; 13 -- Waverly; 16-17 -- Class B state tournament at Nebraska Tennis Center, Lincoln.
Southeast
Coach: Tim Tidball. Returning letterwinners: Grant Tesmer, so.; Seth Garnett, jr.; Seth Shimerda, jr.; Luke Burkey, sr.; Chad Groshans, sr.; Max Rodenburg, sr. Others to watch: Joel Hunter-Pirtle, sr.; Rylee Hall, sr.; Tristan Williams, sr.; Paul Dorenbach, jr.; Eric Marrow, jr.; Jack Rodenburg, fr.
Outlook: With five of top six back from last year’s fourth-place team at state, the Knights are a title contender.
Schedule: Aug. 28 -- Omaha Burke/Lincoln East triangular; Sept. 4 -- Northeast; 6 -- Kearney Invitational; 13 -- Fremont Invitational; 17 -- Lincoln High; 19 -- at Grand Island; 22 -- Papillion-La Vista Invitational; 26 -- at Fremont; 29 -- North Star; 30 -- Millard North; Oct. 1 -- Lincoln East; 3 -- Heartland Conference at Woods; 7 -- at Pius X; 9 -- at Southwest; 16-17 -- Class A state tournament at Koch Family Tennis Center, Omaha.
Southwest
Coach: Denny Hershberger. Returning letterwinners: Alec Lowery, sr.; Alex Hartmann, sr.; Jake Marvin, sr.; Juke Yarabe, sr.; Drew Bartek, so.; PJ Bell, so.; Van Christian Sanderfer, so.; Nealesh Padhye, so.
Outlook: Five of six starters return. Bell and Bartek were at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively, last season as freshmen. Marvin played No. 1 doubles. Sanderfer and Lowrey combined to go 20-4 and finished third at state at No. 2 doubles.
Schedule: Aug. 30 -- Northeast/Lincoln High Invitational; 2 -- Lincoln East; 4 -- at Beatrice; 10 -- North Star; 13 -- Millard West Invitational; 18 -- at Fremont/North Star triangular; 20 -- Bellevue West Invitational; 22 -- Papillion-La Vista Invitational; 24 -- Northeast; 29 -- Omaha Westside Invitational; 30 -- at York/Kearney triangular; Oct. 2 -- Grand Island; 3 -- Heartland Conference at Woods; 8 -- Lincoln High; 9 -- Southeast; 16-17 -- Class A state tournament at Koch Family Tennis Center, Omaha.
Keeping that doubles team together allows sophomore Grant Tesmer to move up to No. 1 singles after going 27-0 and winning state at No. 2 singles last fall. Garnett played No. 1 singles as a freshman two years ago and most of last season.
“I like singles, but this lineup probably scores more points for the team,” said Garnett, who played nine tournaments with Shimerda this summer, perhaps anticipating what would happen this fall. Shimerda played this summer after sitting out five months early in 2008 because of an injury suffered playing indoor soccer.
Tesmer will be tested immediately at No. 1 singles. He’ll face defending No. 1 singles champion Jackson Withrow of Omaha Burke on Thursday at Woods Tennis Center, part of a triangular that includes defending state champion Lincoln East. Withrow (32-0) also went undefeated last fall.
“It’s nice having two quality No. 1 singles players on the team,” Tidball said. “Grant’s extremely athletic with good size and quickness. He’s a gamer who knows how to win matches.”
Tesmer called the move to No. 1 singles “a big step.”
“I’m excited for it,” Tesmer added. “I’ve hit a lot this summer and played a lot of tournaments, so I think I’m ready.”
Seniors Chad Groshans and Luke Burkey, quarterfinalists at No. 2 doubles last fall, lead the Knights in the No. 2 divisions. Tidball said he’s still uncertain about the lineup beneath Tesmer, Garnett and Shimerda, with several players contending for spots.
Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.
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