By: Scott Paske
KSHSAA Covered
WICHITA – Buhler tennis coach Matt Babcock has known his Wichita Collegiate counterpart, Dave Hawley, for more than 20 years dating back to Babcock’s time at Wichita Southeast.
“I’ve got a few second- and third-place trophies because of him,” Babcock said.
He also has a lot of fond memories of arguably the most successful coach in Kansas State High School Activities Association history. It’s why Babcock and coaches and players from across the state are trying to grasp the idea of their sport without Hawley, who will retire from high school coaching after this weekend’s Class 3-2-1A state tennis tournament at Riverside Tennis Center.
The 70-year-old Hawley, who has guided Collegiate’s boys and girls programs the last 42 years, announced in November that this would be his final high school season. He will continue to coach the Spartans’ middle school program and teach middle school history for at least one more year.
The normally reflective Hawley has been just that since revealing his decision, which was influenced my multiple factors, he said. A team title this weekend would be the 60th of his career between the boys and girls programs.
Whether the Spartans capture it or not, Hawley has savored the closing chapter.
“I’ve taken some pictures,” said Hawley, who will have two singles and two doubles entries in the tournament. “I’ve talked to my team, I’ve talked to my wife, I’ve talked to my kids and said, ‘Well, that’s the last time I’m ever going to Towanda or that’s the last time I’ll ever go to McPherson or Topeka, at least in this particular setting.”
KSHSAA began awarding team tennis championships for girls in the fall of 1985 and boys the following spring. Hawley, a former tennis player at York College in his Nebraska hometown and Harding (Ark.) University, has won 33 girls team titles and 26 boys titles during that span.
In addition, he has produced 82 singles and doubles state champions in the boys and girls divisions, including his sons, Zach, who won back-to-back doubles titles with different partners in 1996 and 1997, and Ben, a three-time doubles champion from 2001-03. Hawley’s daughter, Meagan, also played for him.
Family ties were at the root of his retirement decision. Hawley was unable to see one of his grandsons, a freshman pitcher at Edmond Memorial High in Oklahoma, pitch this spring.
“I don’t like that,” Hawley said. “He has three more years and I don’t want to envision missing that.”
Hawley said another factor in his decision was the strong foundation he’ll leave behind. On a rainy day a couple weeks ago, Hawley had 20 middle school players show up to hit in the rain, some of whom had watched his high school team play the previous week at Collegiate’s Tournament of Champions. “We’ve got really nice kids right now, but we’ve got kids in sixth, seventh and eighth grade who are going to be contributors,” he said.
The final reason was the part of the job he could no longer stomach – one created by Collegiate’s rich tradition.
“I really got tired – and still am very tired – of telling kids I’m not going to take you to regionals,” Hawley said. “So much of the decision about who we end up taking is totally capricious on one part. It’s not always easy to understand.
“I’ve had these conversations with kids through the years and sometimes with their parents, and I realize the way we do it, there’s no substantial thing about how it goes. Sometimes it’s a feeling and an accumulation of data. So that’s a tough thing to do and I’m tired of telling kids, telling them when they’re good enough.”
Coaching peers have sought Hawley’s counsel on running a program. The last few years, he has traveled to Scott City to conduct a summer camp for high school players and youth in that community. Within his own program, Hawley has a no-cut policy and tries to ensure every player of multiple opportunities to compete.
“He’s always got a a lot of talent, but putting the right guys together for doubles and who’s your best singles – there’s more to it,” Babcock said. “He makes it look easy, but there’s a lot more to that.”
The Spartans have won 3-2-1A boys team titles the past three seasons, a streak wrapped around the 2020 pandemic-canceled campaign. On Friday, his singles entries will include freshman Charlie Gentile, the Conway Springs regional champion, and sophomore Carter Drumright, who finished third at state a year ago.
Junior Sky Fujinama, a state doubles qualifier last season, returns in doubles with Collegiate’s lone senior entry, Jude Cunningham. Juniors Rahul Madhavan and Robby Rasberry also qualified in doubles.
Collegiate’s title path will be fraught with challengers. Kansas City Christian returns Caleb Bartels and James Vander Ark, who teamed to win the state doubles title a year ago. Bartels is competing in singles this season, while Vander Ark and his senior classmate Jackson Newman were regional champions at 27-4.
Central Plains junior Peyton Ryan lingers in the singles bracket at 31-0, as well.
“In my mind – and I don’t know if they’d agree with this – they’ve pressed some, and in the back of their mind I wonder if they just sometimes think, ‘What’s the season going to be like if it doesn’t go the way we want it to go?” Hawley said. “I want them to understand that I don’t know what’s inside your mind, but I’m absolutely at peace with whatever happens to us this year.”
Regardless, Hawley will leave a legacy that is widely respected.
“Tennis-wise, it’s insane what he’s done in our sport – any sport, really,” said Babcock, who will coach Buhler in the Class 4A tournament this weekend in Pratt. “I quit following his number of team titles once it reached 50. I don’t even know what it is.
“He’s the easiest hall of fame choice in the history of Kansas high school sports, probably.”
