First serve: Top players and teams to watch for Jacksonville high school tennis in 2024
The Florida High School Athletic Association begins the 2024 tennis season this week for Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. See top teams and players to watch.
BOYS
Teams: 5 to watch
Bolles
The Bulldogs won the regional championship last season for Class 2A and bring back much of their 2023 roster. That group includes not only No. 1 singles returnee Dhruv Pandya and senior Anik Desai, but also Michael Zhang, who impressed as a freshman with an 8-2 regular season record at No. 3 singles.
Episcopal
An Eagles team that qualified for the Class 1A state tournament last year returns a lot of familiar names, including 2023 No. 1 singles starter Ford Rachels after his strong effort with Episcopal soccer. Also on the squad are seniors Aidan Stefanides and Gael Malone as well as freshmen Will Misner and Charlie Neal, the exact same lineup that participated in postseason.
Fleming Island
Senior Anthony Williams, who went 11-3 last year at No. 2 singles and earned All-Clay County honors, leads a Golden Eagles team that reached regionals before losing to Ponte Vedra. Tolen Ayres, 8-1 at No. 4 singles, is back as well, with Zach Hyatt, Aidan Whipple and Keaton Keiter among the young contributors.
Nease
They're young, really young, but veteran Nease coach Michael Kypriss calls this year's Panthers among the most talented new lineups that he's coached in more than 40 years. Nease adds the freshman trio of William Chaves, Aleks Gavrancic and Austin Miskelly to join juniors Robert Champion and Ian Marrou in an always-competitive St. Johns County tennis scene.
Ponte Vedra
By now, opponents underestimate the Sharks at their own risk. Ponte Vedra returns its senior star in Grant Price, who finished 9-5 at No. 1 singles last year while challenging top opponents from around the Sunshine State. Also back are senior John Grayson Havens and junior Connor Vernon, who saw extensive action on the second through fourth lines.
Players: 5 to watch
Akhil Chedde, Sr., Stanton
Returning for the always-dangerous Blue Devils, Chedde qualified for the Class 2A quarterfinals in both singles and doubles. Chedde leads a pack of several returning regulars from last year, as well as a promising freshman in Jay Deering.
Henry Colwell, Sr., Fernandina Beach
A state doubles qualifier last year at Class 2A, Colwell went 7-2 at No. 2 singles for the Pirates for third-team All-First Coast honors. Douglas Stacy is also among the experienced returners for Fernandina Beach.
Reef Davis, Jr., Fletcher
A top performer in Gateway Conference play last year, Davis went 10-0 at No. 1 singles and 11-1 at No. 1 doubles during the regular season and returns to lead the Senators into action.
Caleb Shepler, Jr., Christ's Church
After teaming up with three-time state champion Chase Healey on a successful doubles pair, the junior moves up to a higher-profile role for the Eagles in 2024.
Jack Walzer, Jr., Creekside
Unbeaten in the regular season at No. 2 singles during his sophomore year, Walzer steps up to the No. 1 line this season for the Knights.
GIRLS
Teams: 5 to watch
Bolles
Only Gulliver Prep stopped the Bulldogs from bringing home the Class 2A championship last season, and much of that roster is back in blue and orange. They can call upon one of Jacksonville's best from last year in Katrina Kirov, who went 9-2 at No. 1 singles last season. Rafa Neel, who was nearly unbeaten in 2023 as an eighth-grader, and Riya Kar are also among the Bolles returners.
Nease
With 2023 All-First Coast player of the year Kylie Kochis coming back after her run to the Class 4A individual final, Nease is an automatic contender. But that's not all. The Panthers also return sophomores Blair Murray and Zofi Huszcza and add further promising talent in sophomore Danielle Wei and freshman Emily Sammons. They've got a chance to avenge last year's regional exit at the hands of Spruce Creek.
Ponte Vedra
Team depth helped the Sharks qualify for the Class 3A tournament last year, and it looks like a plus yet again. Among Ponte Vedra's returners are junior Amy Cox and sophomore Ashley Larger, both of whom won double-digit matches last year and look positioned to excel again for a program that's among St. Johns County's most consistent.
Stanton
The Blue Devils have the inside track on top honors for the Gateway Conference. They bring back an individual singles state semifinalist in Katie Wong, who also teamed up with Emma Ferguson on a doubles pair that reached the quarters. Emma Griner and Sharini Krishnan add to the depth for a solid lineup.
Tocoi Creek
What can the Toros do for an encore after a 13-2 record in their second season of competition? Maybe a lot. They return most of their 2023 lineup, including last year's freshman tandem of Adriah Tongkhuya and Lizzy Damon. Since Tocoi Creek also brings back Mehna Lakshminarayanan, Kaitlyn Manucy and Anna Armstrong, they can call upon any of last year's top five along with several newcomers.
Players: 5 to watch
Saylor Clough, Sr., Providence
After three seasons at No. 1 singles for the Stallions, Clough is among Jacksonville's most experienced players in high school competition and made the All-First Coast honorable mention list last year after a .667 winning percentage.
Ella-Jane Eddy, Jr., Episcopal
Coming off an 11-win season, the junior's role steps up on a young roster. Cate Taylor and Cora Anderson, both entering their freshman years, showed promise during their eighth-grade campaigns.
Sarah Jensen, Sr., Fleming Island
The All-Clay County selection returns to lead a Golden Eagles team that might be ready to turn the corner. Tessa Wilson, Courtney Klingenberg, Sloka Naidu and Madi Valenzuela also line up on an experienced roster.
Miella Matteo, Jr., Sandalwood
As a sophomore, Matteo was flat-out dominant at No. 2 singles with an 8-0 record, and she also excelled in doubles.
Olivia Pistryak, Jr., Beachside
A Beachside team that showed promise in year one returns most of its 2023 lineup, including Pistryak after her 4-2 record at No. 1 singles. Senior Ava Hess and sophomore Natalie Bachman are also among those on course to return for the Barracudas.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school tennis 2024: Jacksonville-area FHSAA boys, girls previews
