Eagles boys tennis season comes to an end in loss to Jags

5/8/2025

by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News

The Grain Valley boys tennis team put a scare into Blue Springs South.

The Eagles trailed 2-1 after doubles play and lost two of the next three singles matches that finished as South went ahead 4-2 late in Tuesday’s Class 3 District 7 semifinal matchup with the Jaguars.

No. 6 singles player Blake Galvan defeated senior Tommy Nesbitt 6-4, 7-5 to pull his team within a 4-3 deficit. From there, Grain Valley junior Marius Cooper and sophomore Drew Drinkwater were in closes battles in their No. 4 and 5 matches, respectively.

However, South senior Alex Hunt put it away after he defeated Cooper 7-6 (8-6 tiebreaker), 6-3 as the Jaguars ended the Eagles season following a 6-3 victory.

“I was really proud of our guys,” Grain Valley head tennis coach Randy Draper said. “We played really great today. We played so much better at the end of the year, and we didn’t disappoint. We had a shot.”

Drinkwater helped keep the match going as it could have ended much earlier. He dropped the first set against South sophomore Braden Howard and was trailing 5-0 in the second set. However, he made an improbable comeback and took that set 7-5 to force and deciding set. He was not able to finish his match however as the matchup ended following Hunt’s victory.

“There was a lot of reasons for that to end and he wouldn’t do it,” Draper said of Drinkwater’s match. “He ended up getting into a match tiebreak and it’s a shame he didn’t get to finish.”

Seniors John Cassidy and Trace Compton got Grain Valley’s lone doubles win as they took down Parker Chaney and Zavier Broyles 8-5.

Grain Valley’s No. 2 doubles team of junior Riley Spencer and Cooper were edged 8-5 in their match vs, Hunt and Howard. The No. 3 doubles team of senior Aidan Wilson and Drinkwater dropped a match to Nesbitt and Jake LeTourneau 8-3.

Spencer earned a dominant win over Broyles 6-3, 6-0 against Broyles in No. 3 doubles. Compton and Cassidy dropped their doubles matches 6-2, 6-0 and 6-3, 7-5, respectively.

“He’s hard to beat,” Draper said of Spencer. “He doesn’t beat himself.”

Grain Valley senior John Cassidy uses a forehand to hit the ball over the net. Photo credit: Michael Smith

Grain Valley junior Riley Spencer prepares to strike the ball during a single match against Blue Springs South sophomore Zavier Broyles Tuesday at Blue Springs South High School during the Class 3 District 7 tournament. Grain Valley fell to South 6-3. Photo credit: Michael Smith