Park Hill South sophomore Henry Jacobs is the No. 1 after helping the Panthers win the final 10 regular season matches in 2023.
PARKVILLE – For the first time in Ian Cunliff’s 14-year coaching career for the Park Hill South boys’ tennis team, all of the varsity players come into this season with previous experience at that level.
Most seasons, Park Hill South has some inexperience and has to replace graduates but that won’t be the case in 2024. With six Panthers returning, the sky is the limit.
“We are extremely deep,” Cunliff said. “Depending on districting, we have the potential to have a lot of success.”
Sophomore Henry Jacobs has a bright future ahead of him, being the No. 1 as an underclassman going into the year. The rest of the lineup will be made up by juniors and seniors.
Juniors Noah Patel and Noah Slaughter are set as the No. 2 and No. 4 for Park Hill South. The rest of the lineup are seniors: Jack Arnold, Mikey Walzl and Ryan Morrow.
“We need to be able to perform under pressure. Being able to win a few duals five to four at the right time will be huge,” Cunliff said.
Last season, the Panthers had a rough 2-3-1 start, and then ran the table until the district semifinals. Park Hill South won 11 straight until coming up short to Liberty in the Class 3 District 8 Tournament.
That was the most wins the Panthers have had since being 14-2 and reaching the state quarterfinals in 2011. They will look to bring home a district title for the first time since 2019 with a group that shows a lot of poise.