BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
WICHITA — The Central Plains Oilers doubles team Paxton Hammeke-Devin Ryan were one victory away from capturing a first-place finish, as well clinching a state 3-1A tennis team championship for the Oilers.
Shawnee Maranatha’s Dan Siemens-Aaron Bowling spoiled that plan with a solid 6-2, 6-1 championship victory over Hammeke-Ryan 6-2, 6-1 to finish out a 21-0 record.
Siemens placed second in 3-1A singles and Bowling sixth last year.
“They were really good, tough doubles players,” said Central Plains coach Gary Bittner. “Their serves were strong. They hit blistering groundstrokes and good volleys too. During timeouts, there wasn’t any advice I could tactically give our guys.”
Kansas City Christian captured the first-place state trophy (32) by one point over Central Plains (31) with Hesston (29) and Sterling (29) finishing third at Wichita’s Riverside Park. The Oilers captured the 2016 state title and finished runner-up in 2017.
“There was a lot of team parity with a lot of really good teams playing,” Bittner said. “It’s fun to see so many teams with a chance at state.”
Hammeke-Ryan (28-2) swept three consecutive matches to reach the doubles finals.
Hammeke and Ryan defeated Lawrence Seabury’s Ian Hanna-Tom DiZerega, 6-1, 6-0 and Wichita Independent’s Gabe Carnley-Pryce Rhula, 6-1, 6-2; and Joe Schmidt-Brayden Kern of KC Christian, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals.
Oilers Kade Beck-Brett Liebl (29-5) beat Schmidt and Kern of KC Christian 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to earn third place.
Beck-Liebl defeated Scott City’s Porter Irwin-Chaseton Cupp, 6-0, 6-0 and Conway Springs’ Josh Koester-Peyton Winter, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 6-1 before losing 6-2, 6-3 to the state champions.
Last year, Ryan placed seventh in singles and Beck-Liebl were doubles state runner-up.
Central Plains singles qualifiers Lawson Oeser (10-4) and J.J. Heredia (19-12) each finished 2-2 in singles to help the Oilers finish second.
“I was really proud of our singles players,” Bittner said. “Our singles guys scrapped and improved and really battled. We knew we needed points from them.”
Oeser won 4-6, 6-0, 10-8 over Shawnee Maranatha’s Braden Lockwood and 9-5 over Meade’s Nolan Dwell. Heredia won 6-4, 6-1 over Will Knight of Maranatha 9-1 over Trego’s Branden Swart.
3A STATE, WICHITA RIVERSIDE
TEAM TOTALS—1—KC Christian 32; 2—Central Plains 31; 3—Hesston 29; 4—Sterling 29; 5—Wichita Independent 22; 6—Conway Springs 20; 7—Shawnee Maranatha 17; 8—Scott City 14; 9—Ellsworth 13; 10—Salina Sacred Heart 11; 11—Lawrence Seabury 9; 12—Colby 7; 13—Haven 2; 14—Hutchinson Trinity 1; WaKeeney Trego 1
DOUBLES—1—Dan Siemers-Aaron Bowlin, Maranatha def. Paxton Hammeke-Devin Ryan, Central Plains, 6-2, 6-1
3—Kade Beck-Brett Liebl, Central Plains def. Joe Schmidt-Brayden Kern, KC Christian, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
5—Charlie Skidmore-Trace Leners, Salina Sacred Heart def. Jorge Morales-Jeb Carlson, Hesston, 9-8 (7-4)
7—Josh Koester-Peyton Winter, Conway Springs def. Brett Riffel-Garrett Sankey, Sterling, 9-7
9—Gabe Carnley-Pryce Bhula, Wichita Independent def. Cody Jones-Trenton Jones, Conway Springs, 9-2
11—Daniel Casimir-Isaac Decker, Hesston def. Alex Maxwell-Dalton Zelenka, Ellsworth, 9-8 (7-2)
DOUBLES SEMIFINALS
Hammeke-Ryan, CP def. Schmidt-Kern, KC Christian, 6-2, 6-2
Siemers-Bowlin, Maranatha def. Beck-Liebl, CP, 6-2, 6-3
DOUBLES QUARTERFINALS
Hammeke-Ryan, CP def. Carnley-Bhula, Wichita Independent, 6-1, 6-2
Schmidt-Kern, KC Christian def. Riffel-Sankey, Sterling, 6-4, 6-2
Siemers-Bowlin, Maranatha def. Morales-Carlson, Hesston, 6-3, 6-3
Beck-Liebl, CP def. Koester-Winter, Conway Springs, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 6-1
DOUBLES SECOND ROUND
Hammeke-Ryan, CP def. Ian Hanna-Tom DiZerega, Lawrence Seabury, 6-1, 6-0
Carnley-Bhula, Independent def. Zak Oster-Roland Hou, Maranatha, 6-4, 6-1
Riffel-Sankey, Sterling def. Walker Clawson-Gatlin Clawson, Meade, 6-2, 6-3
Schmidt-Kern, KC Christian vs. Jones-Jones, Conway Springs, 6-3, 6-0
Siemers-Bowlin, Maranatha def. Maxwell-Zelenka, Ellsworth, 6-0, 6-1
Morales-Carlson, Hesston def. Austin Kinderknect-Leyton Brock, Trego, 6-0, 6-0
Koester-Winter, Conway Springs def. Skidmore-Leners, Sacred Heart, 6-1, 4-6 (10-8)
Beck-Liebl, CP def. Porter Irwin-Chaseton Cupp, Scott City, 6-0, 6-0
DOUBLES FIRST ROUND
Hanna-DiZerega, Seabury def. Nathan Lee-Riley Kraft, Colby, 6-2, 6-2
Oster-Hou, Maranatha def. Jon Unruh-Kamrin Jones, Meade, 6-1, 6-4
Riffel-Sankey, Sterling def. Daniel Casimir-Isaac Decker, Hesston,6-3, 7-5
Jones-Jones, Conway Springs def. Branden Kerr-Caden Whetzel, Ellsworth, 6-4, 6-2
Maxwell-Zelenka, Ellsworth def. Dylan Carnley-Palmer Farrow, Independent, 6-4, 6-4
Morales-Carlson, Hesston def. Mike Maldonado-Tom Maldonado, Hutchinson Trinity, 7-5, 7-5
Skidmore-Leners, Sacred Heart def. Chris Wright-Miles Haire, Scott City, 6-1, 6-2
Irwin-Cupp, Scott City def. Ben Simmons-Ei Wagner, KC Christian, 6-3, 6-4
SINGLES FINALS
1—Bryson Toubassi, Wichita Independent def. Owen Vander Ark, KC Christian, 6-1, 6-1
3—Joey Oberle, Ellsworth def. William Weiner, Sterling, 6-4, 6-2
5—Josiah Evans, Scott City def. Logan Gamble, Hesston, 9-7
7—Kenan Comley, Sterling def. Grayson Rader, Lawrence Seabury, 9-5
9—Drew Starbuck, Colby def. Caleb Kern, KC Christian, 9-2
11—Luke Bellar, Conway Springs def. Rhain Isaac, Hesston, 9-6
SINGLES SEMIFINALS
Toubassi, Wichita Independent vs. Oberle, Ellsworth, 6-2, 6-2
Vander Ark, KC Christian vs. Weiner, Sterling, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
SINGLES QUARTERFINALS
Toubassi, Independent def. Rader, Lawrence Seabury, 6-0, 6-0
Oberle, Ellsworth def. Kern, KC Christian, 6-2, 6-4
Vander Ark, KC Christian def. Comley, Sterling , 6-1, 6-2
Weiner, Sterling def. Evans, Scott City, 6-3, 6-3
SINGLES SECOND ROUND
Toubassi, Wichita Independent def. Lawson Oeser, Central Plains, 6-0, 6-0
Rader, Lawrence Seabury def. Starbuck, Colby, 6-4, 6-4
Oberle, Ellsworth def. Bellar, Conway Springs, 6-1, 6-0
Caleb Kern, KC Christian def. William Cupp, Scott City, 6-4, 6-1
Vander Ark, KC Christian def. Luke Wells, Haven, 6-1, 6-1
Comley, Sterling def. Gamble, Hesston, 6-2, 6-1
Evans, Scott City def. J.J. Heredia, Central Plains, 6-3, 6-1
Weiner, Sterling def. Isaac, Hesston, 6-0, 6-0
SINGLES FIRST ROUND
Oeser, CP def. Braden Lockwood, Shawnee-Maranatha, 4-6, 6-0 (10-8)
Bellar, CS def. Nolan Dewell, Meade, 6-1, 6-0
Cupp, SC def. Jacob Kautz, Conway Springs, 6-1, 5-7, 10-8
Wells, Haven def. Branden Swart, Trego, 6-0, 6-1
Comley, Sterling def. Ambrose Shaunghnessy, Cimarron, 6-0, 6-0
Heredia, CP def. Will Knight, Shawnee-Maranatha, 6-4, 6-1
Isaac, Hesston def. Peter Westbrook, Lawrence Seabury, 6-4, 6-1
CONSOLATION
Oeser, CP def. Dewell, Meade, 9-5; Starbuck, Colby def. Oeser, CP, 9-0
Heredia, CP def. Swart, Trego, 9-1; Isaac, Hesston def. Heredia, CP, 9-5
