With a trip to state on the line, Manhattan High boys tennis delivered a strong showing Saturday at the 6A Regional Tournament in Topeka, finishing second overall behind Washburn Rural at the Kossover Tennis Facility.
The Indians totaled 13 team points, trailing only Washburn Rural’s 18. The Centennial League also controlled much of the standings, with all four league schools finishing inside the top four. Topeka High placed third with nine points, while Junction City finished fourth with six.
Manhattan will now send sophomore Jay Hoke to state along with the doubles team of Zac Morgan and Samuel Byerly to the 6A State Tennis Tournament in Wichita this weekend.
Held at the 22-court Kossover Tennis Facility, the regional brought together both 6A and 5A programs competing simultaneously for state qualification, though Manhattan competed strictly within the 6A bracket.
Hoke led the way once again, capturing his second straight regional singles championship in dominant fashion. The sophomore did not drop a single game all day, winning every set 6-0 on his way to the title and improving his season record to 30-4.
Hoke opened with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Marcello Munoz of Topeka High before defeating Jaxon Whitehead of Washburn Rural by the same score. He followed that with another sweep over Tyson Habhab of Junction City before closing the day with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Tres Lassiter of Topeka High in the championship match.
“I feel pretty good,” Hoke said. “I don’t think I made many mistakes at all today. I played pretty well, and I’m excited for state next week.”
Hoke’s aggressive approach stood out throughout the tournament, especially with his willingness to finish points early.
“It’s always trying to put away,” he said. “Especially against players that don’t drive the ball as much, I try to get as many winners and opportunities as possible.”
Head coach Tony Ingram said Hoke entered the day with a clear goal in mind.
“Jay won convincingly,” Ingram said. “He had set a goal of not dropping a game all day, and he accomplished that. I’m very happy for him and his family going back-to-back. Now it’s about looking ahead to next weekend.”
Ingram also pointed to Hoke’s experience and composure throughout the season.
“The level of competition goes up at state, and he knows that,” Ingram said. “The experience he had last year has helped him tremendously. He knows what to expect now from high school tennis at that level.”
Elsewhere in singles, Henry He competed in another full-set format match, continuing to gain experience in longer postseason play. Though his season came to an end at regionals, Ingram said the growth throughout the year has been significant.
“I think the experience he’s gained will show up next year,” Ingram said. “There are things he now knows they can work on in the offseason.”
In doubles, Morgan and Byerly finished 3-1 to place third and qualify for state. The pair opened with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Wichita Southeast before beating Topeka High’s Christian Sink and Victor Arriaga. Their lone loss came in a competitive three-set match against Washburn Rural’s Keiffer O’Conner and Ben Tryhus, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6.
Morgan and Byerly responded with a strong finish, defeating Wichita East’s Dhairav Shah and Brighton Dingman 6-0, 6-7, 6-0 in the third-place match.
“Samuel and Zac are playing really well right now,” Ingram said. “They picked a great time to start playing their best tennis. Their consistency is better, their movement is better, and I’m very proud of them for turning the corner.”
Luke Nichols and Ayavanth Natarajan also battled through a competitive bracket. The duo rallied from a set down in their opening match against Wichita Southeast’s Matan Pepperstone and Derek Souphanh, winning 3-6, 7-6, 10-7 in a super tiebreaker to stay alive.
“They had to dig deep in that one,” Ingram said. “It showed maturity. We try not to get too high with the good things or too low with the bad things and just maintain that competitive edge. They did a great job of that.”
Though Nichols and Natarajan later fell in their next two matches, Ingram said the experience they gained throughout the season will be valuable moving forward.
“The two-doubles team gained quite a bit of experience this year,” he said. “Hopefully they learn from it, move on, and continue working in the offseason.”
With the regional complete, Manhattan will now send Hoke along with the doubles team of Morgan and Byerly to the 6A State Tennis Tournament on Friday and Satruday at Riverside Tennis Complex in Wichita.