The season opener arrives for the Joplin High School boys tennis team in just over a week. And at the moment, every spot in the team’s starting lineup is still up for grabs.
The Eagles, who host Kickapoo on April 1, will soon finalize their varsity lineup after upcoming challenge matches, new head coach Aaron Stump told SoMo Sports.
“Once we get back after spring break we’ll solidify our team rankings from our head-to-head matchups,” Stump said. “Right now in our challenge matches, there is not one standout. We have about five guys who are in the mix. So that competition is good to have. And it’s been fun to watch.”
A former assistant coach in the program, Stump is now the man in charge of the Eagles. Stump, who previously assisted Ed Ingle, has prior head coaching experience, as he led both the boys and girls tennis programs for two years at Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville, Kansas.
Stump has been teaching in the Joplin school district since 2013. He joined the tennis coaching staff during the 2014-15 school year.
As far as this year’s JHS squad, seniors Logan Merkley, Jeffery Evenson, Josh Yarnall, Colin Vermillion and Ben Wardlow all should be key performers for the Eagles this season, in both singles and doubles.
“We are strong in the area of having seniors on our team,” Stump said. “We have guys that have played a few years with us. We have five guys who could be our No. 1 at some point of the season. I think we’ll get some wins on the lower end of our lineup because the talent level is consistent with our top group.”
Stump said he’s been encouraged by his team’s effort during preseason practices. And as expected, the team’s seniors are leading the way.
“Most of those guys are in their fourth year with us,” Stump said. “The mentality is there. They enjoy playing. They work hard. It’s been interesting watching the matchups because there are some very different playing styles within that group. It’s going to be fun to see which guys really step up.”
Other seniors on the Joplin roster are Caleb Cantero, Reese Macios and Jayden Felix. Juniors are Xavier Allen, Trevor Blanken and Parker Reynolds. Sophomores on the team are Michael Mancipe and Hunter Merkley, while freshmen Chapel Braman and Aiden Kester round out the roster.
Richard Perry will assist Stump with the Eagles this spring. Stump noted Perry, who was an assistant with the JHS girls team back in the fall, brings a wealth of tennis knowledge to the program.
Of course, there was no spring season in 2020. Led by standout Garret Lewis, Joplin’s 2019 squad finished fourth in Class 2.
Again, the Eagles are scheduled to begin the season at 4:30 next Thursday at home against Kickapoo.
