LONDON — North Laurel tennis coach Bobby Smith is excited to see what his girls’ and boys’ tennis teams can accomplish this season after turning in impressive seasons from last season.
The Lady Jaguars posted an 18-3 mark and had numerous players reach the state tournament last season.
“Our girls are coming off a tremendous season of 18-3,” Smith said. “Singles region runner-up Jaron Gray along with doubles teams Eva Clark/Baylie McCreary and Meg Brock/Molly Hamm all qualified for state. We lost Jaron, Baylie, and experienced Lorin Sasser to graduation, but I still expect us to have a strong team with some talented returners. “Eva, Meg, and Molly are all back with state tournament experience,” he added. “Charlotte Griffin and Erin Cheek have experience in the regular lineup. And while Jayci Phelps doesn’t as much, she’s a good athlete, who I think is ready to take on an increased role. Other returning players providing us with depth are Brooke Hubbard, Alyssa Lowe, Taylor Vaughn, Sofia Begley, Lexi Hildebrand, Kaylee Moore, and Areej Ali. Newcomers Mikaela Moore, Marlie McDaniel, and Lyla Durham have played other sports and picked up the game well thus far. Our other first-year players include Zoey Bargo, Abby McCowan, Natalie Robinson, and Amber Bryant.”
On the boys’ side, the Jaguars finished with an identical 18-3 record. Despite some key losses Smith is hoping his Jaguars can have a lot of success this season.
“The boys are also returning from an 18-3 season in which singles player Mahir Neeraj and doubles team of Will Walton/Jasper Jones qualified for state,” he said. “Expecting to only lose four-year player Lucas Ball to graduation, we ended up losing Mahir to a move and Will to focusing on football after an injury in the fall. That’s a big hit when you lose your best singles player and your best doubles player. But we should still be competitive with who we have coming back.
“Jasper has really upped his game and will be relied on heavily,” Smith added. “As will Zaid Salim and Derek Vaughn – both have experience and worked hard in the offseason. Colton Cunagin and Jackson Gilbert are likely to move into the regular lineup, and I think they’re ready for the challenge. Returning players Finn McArdle, Ethan Carter, Caleb McCreary, Austin Van, Joe Clay Durham, Kayden Jones, and Ridge Parker are all challenging for playing time and should provide us with good depth. Newcomers this year include Tucker Hamilton, Raymond Wang, Trenton Bray, Cooper McCowan, Charles Grimes, Noah Johnson, and Qasim Sroya.”
