'It’s our time to step up': Topeka West tennis faces challenge of defending state title
TOPEKA — Caden McGee and Caleb Weybrew looked at each other in frustration. Topeka West’s doubles pair was in a competitive battle against Hayden’s Chase Blaser and Joseph Luke in the Chargers' home tournament on Tuesday.
The Topeka West tennis team is the defending state champions in Class 5A, the first state title in program history. This year, the Chargers are trying to keep the standard of quality play alive.
“At every tournament, we have had good competition and everyone has played their hardest against us,” Weybrew said. “Things have been going pretty well for me and Caden. We have lost some games that we could have won, but we just get better from those.”
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On Tuesday, Weybrew and McGee countered the blistery conditions with stellar drop shots and work at the net that was championship-quality. Errant serves frustrated the duo, but their continuity together helped them defeat Blaser and Luke 8-5.
The close victory for the Topeka West set them on the right track for the rest of the afternoon. They went on to win the tournament by finishing with a 6-0 record.
Weybrew and McGee’s relationship on the court didn’t begin with last year’s state tournament run. The Topeka West tennis program is reaping the benefits of a pair of friends who have known each other for years.
“We’ve known each other our whole lives and our chemistry together is unmatched,” McGee said. “Coach is always asking to push the net and that is what we do really well.”
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While the doubles partnership is blossoming, Topeka West also returns James Maag. The senior finished in 11th place last year on the singles side of the state tournament bracket. He finished in eighth place in the Topeka West Invitational, but his experience has elevated the standards of the program.
Newer varsity players are seeking guidance on how to keep the winning ways alive for the Chargers. The No. 2 doubles team for Topeka West was Brady Clark and Julian Ramcharan on Tuesday. They were often speaking with head coach Kurt Davids discussing strategy.
“There is definitely a target on the whole team’s back, but definitely in our state medalists in Caden, Caleb and James,” Ramcharan said. “Everybody has been going at their throats and it’s been hard, but a lot of us have been finding a way to get through it.”
Inside practice, Topeka West has been relying on each other to help with net work and serves. Clark shared that the players from last have set a standard that everyone wants to continue.
“Everyone can look up to someone on the team who have been state medalist to be pushed and to be challenged,” Clark said. “I am just glad that I get to practice with them and work on myself getting better against them.”
As the defending state champions, Topeka West is no longer under the radar. They are the top dogs that everyone is gunning for and that is what is making them a stronger outfit. This iron sharpens iron mindset is what Weybrew and McGee are hoping will lead them to a double state title in May.
“Us winning state last year really opened the eyes of people about Topeka West and that we are not a below-average program,” McGee said. “Now, it’s our time to step up and take over.”
Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka West tennis faces challenge of defending state championship
