​Eagles tennis aims for district title in 2024

by Michael Smith
 
The Grain Valley boys’ tennis team came close to winning a district championship last season.
The Eagles made it to the finals of the Class 2 District 8 Tournament in 2023 after defeating Kansas City East and Kearney in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. However, they fell to Platte County 5-1 in the championship as they were going for their second consecutive district championship.

This season, Grain Valley may have a good chance of winning districts as it returns four of its six starters from last year’s squad.

Leading the way will be the No. 1 singles player, Ben Drinkwater, who finished with a 9-9 record in 2023. The other returns joining him are senior Carter Williams and juniors John Cassidy and Trace Compton. Those are four players who are expected to crack the starting lineup and help the Eagles with the varsity experience factor.

“It helps with our confidence, especially since a team like Platte County only returned two guys and they graduated a lot of their (junior varsity) guys, as well,” Drinkwater said. “We definitely feel like we can make a run this year.”

And that will start with Drinkwater as he will play against the other team’s best player every match as the No. 1. He said he’s been working on his serve and backhand in the offseason.

“My second serve is something I have struggled with in the past,” Drinkwater said. “I used to not have one. If I have a stronger second serve, I have more control over the point from the beginning.”

“I have also been working on being more consistent with my backhand. I think both of those aspects of my game I have improved.”

As the No. 2 singles player, Williams hopes to take a leap and elevate his performance from 2023. Drinkwater noted a big strength for Williams is his aggressiveness.

“He will go after volleys,” Drinkwater said. “He’s not passive, which is nice. He is not afraid to make a mistake, which makes him a good player. You see a lot of JV players and even some varsity players who are afraid to make a mistake. Carter isn’t.”

Williams added he has been working on his serves and being confident on the court.

“It’s about going out there and doing what you practice,” Williams said. “I have struggled with that in the past, but I have gotten better with that to a point.”

While Drinkwater and Williams will lead the team as the top two players, the Eagles have a big strength with their depth. There are six players who could fill the remaining four spots on the singles and doubles teams. Some of those expected to compete for those spots include Cassidy, Compton, seniors Campbell Childers and Dominic Lunn and juniors Blake Galvan and Aidan Wilson. Those who will fill No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 spots have yet to be determined.

“I am very confident in this team,” Drinkwater said. “We have so many guys who can play at the varsity level and two of them will have to play on the JV team. Any of those guys can play at the four spots.”

Grain Valley head coach Randy Draper said the depth is an advantage for his Eagles, but he said the team wins and losses will come down to who ends up in the No. 3 spot. He said if he can find players capable of winning the No. 3 and 4 matchups, his team will be a good shape in 2024.

“It all comes down to if we have a lot of three and fours or do we have fives and sixes,” Draper said. “We will find out what we have when we start playing.”

The depth part of the reason Drinkwater and Williams said they are confident the Eagles can win the district tournament this season.

“We can easily beat them this year,” Williams said of potentially playing Platte County in the tournament this year. “Everyone has gotten better, and everyone is growing in their own ways.

​Grain Valley will play in its season opener at 4 p.m. March 19 at Staley High School.

Seniors Carter Williams, left, and Ben Drinkwater will be the No. 2 and 1 singles players for the Grain Valley boys tennis team, respectively as they will aim for a team district title in 2024. Photo credit: Michael Smith