The locations change, but no matter where it is
played, Groesbeck High is going to be at the state
team tennis tournament. Ever since it began in 1988,
the Goats under coach Jim Longbotham have made an
appearance every year at the tournament. Last year,
they finished ninth which is where they are ranked
in this week's Texas Tennis Coaches poll. The Goats
head for San Marcos, scene of this year's
tournament. It was last held there in the early
90's. Groesbeck's goal is to finish higher than it
ever has in this tournament, fifth place. They have
done that several times, the last time in 1999.
In class 3A, only Vernon approaches Groesbeck in
appearances at the state tournament with 22 times,
but not consecutively like the Goats' record 23
straight attempts to win the state crown. The only
schools that match Groesbeck in that record are
Highland Park of Dallas in 4A and Mason in 2A. Last
weekend in Waco, the Goats clinched their return to
state with three resounding wins in the the Region
Five tournament over China Spring 18-1, Robinson
13-5 and Gatesville 14-3.
The Goats will be in a pack of schools all chasing
after defending 3A champion Abilene Wylie who is
also the top-ranked 3A team in the Texas Tennis
Coaches' poll. Also competing in the two day event
are teams with their rankings in parantheses are
the following schools: Robinson (15), Wharton (2),
Boerne (3), Vernon (5), Wimberly (6), Kaufman (7),
LaFeria (8), Van (10), Center (14), Sweetwater (17),
Snyder (18), Bellville (20), Lucas Lovejoy (25), and
Zapata.
Longbotham has a mixed crew of seniors and
sophomores for the most part in both the boys' and
the girls' competition. Where his strength in the
tournament is in his boys' team. He says, "We have
the depth and experience there to do well. The key
to the tournament is how we match up against other
teams where our strength isn't canceled out by their
players." The Goats have done well enough this
spring to have compiled a 12-7 record against all
comers. Divided out, they are 4-4 against 4A and 5A
teams and 8-3 against 3A squads.
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In singles boys, his players are in the order of
their rankings on the team are senior Eli Basden,
sophomore Tim Brewer, sophomore Ethan McWhorter,
senior Sam Parker, senior Chris Rowland, sophomore
Brazos Hollegan and senior J. T. Carter. The
alternates are sophomore Oscar Chombo, freshman
Dylan King and sophomre Robert Van Meter.
The girls' singles team is senior-heavy at the top.
Among the first four in order of Kylie Glass,
Theressa Hunter, Sarah Billingsley and Katie Harris,
only junior Billingsley returns for one more year
for Longbotham. Behin Harris in the fifth spot is
sophomore Kailla Parker, junior Lauren Boecker,
sophomore Taylor Wilson and alternate, sophomore
Erika Sanchez. Glass has had a good senior season
going 14-3
in her matches so far this year.
The boys' doubles teams are Brewer and McWhorter at
the number one spot, then Parker and Hollegan and
Basden and Carter. The mixed doubles team is Rowland
and Wilson. For the girls' doubles teams, Glass and
Hunter are the number one players. Behind them are
Billingsley and Harris at number two and Boecker and
Parker as the number three team.
Aided by assistant coach Lauren Janak now in her
second year coaching the Goats, Longbotham goes into
this weekend's tournament with confidence that comes
from getting it right for 23 straight years. The
fact that many teams around the state including
Groesbeck have been hampered by the rain and snow in
getting in their practices isn't necessarily a
deterrent to their success. He comments, "We have
been working toward peaking during last week and
this week. Hopefully that is happening right now."
Groesbeck
Tennis: 23 Straight Years to State