The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
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South Gibson Star-Times Fall Sports Preview Tuesday, August 16, 2022 D-1 Give Us A Call Haubstadt 812-768-5207 Poseyville 812-270-4405 Oakland City 812-999-3070 You Have Direct Access In most cases you can refer yourself for Physical and Occupational therapy! If you have pain, we can help! Why wait? Titan tennis looks to have another strong season By Andy Heuring Star-Times Sports sports@sgstartimes.com The Titan boys tennis team were runners-up in the section- al and placed third in the 13- team Pocket Athletic Confer- ence last year. They think this year can be even better. Head Coach Kyle Debord has five of his seven starters returning, including all three singles players. Debord is the head coach this year, but he said that is only on paper. He and Matt Grabbe have coached together for more than 12 years. Debord was the head coach for the girls team for 12-years, then Debord stepped down as girls coach and Grabbe took over as head coach with Debord as his assistant. Now Debord is back as the boys head coach with Grabbe as his assistant. Landon Kiesel, a junior who played number two singles last year is expected to play num - ber one this year. Coach Debord said Kiesel had the deciding match in the sectional last year. It was a three-hour marathon match he lost after suffering leg cramps. "He has been acting on that since last year. He has come back with a vengeance. Some people will take a loss like that and it ruins them, but he had taken it as fuel to make himself better," said Debord. So much so, he has moved himself into the number one spot. "He has been out this sum - mer putting in the work on the courts, doing extra workouts and running to make sure he doesn't have the same thing happen to him this year," said Debord. Kiesel also changed his mental approach to the game. "At one time his goal was to get the ball back. Going into this season he now has a game plan and a strategy. He is thinking about how he is going to attack his opponent. I feel like it has already helped him. This year in the challenge matches he is beating guys he couldn't beat last year," said Debord. "He is quick, he can get to ever y single ball and put a rack - et on it. He is a tough out. You aren't going to hit it past him," said Debord of Kiesel. Senior Eliott Church will be at number two singles after playing number one singles his junior year. Debord said it could be set - ting up a ver y successful year for Church. "Most of the num- ber twos you are going to play aren't as good as the number ones you played last year." "He has embraced the role of being versatile." Church may play some dou - bles as the season goes on if the circumstances call for it, said Debord. "He has a really big first ser ve. We are tr ying to work on making sure that it goes in about 70 percent of the time. We feel like he can get a lot of free points, especially now with him moving to number two sin - gles." Number three singles will be Lucas Church, a sophomore who ended his freshman sea - son at number three singles. "Last year he was ver y raw. This season his first ser ve has improved. He is getting fast - er and more accurate. That will benefit him at three sin- gles," said Debord. Church's net game has also improved. Debord said Church may play some doubles as well. Senior Jack Decker and ju - nior John Kiesel are paired at number one singles. Decker played doubles the second half of the season after starting the season at singles. "He has a lot of tools. He can do a lot things. He is long and can cover the court in two steps. He covers the net really well. We are really banking on that experience," said Debord. Kiesel is the scrappy guy in the group. "His shots might not look the prettiest, but he is highly effective. Nothing phases him. . . nothing his op - ponent does will ever bother him," said Debord. "These five guys all have varsity experience. . . There is nothing that can replace varsity experience," said Debord. The number two doubles team will be Grant Wade and Noah Kiesel. "Grant has really come a long way. He is another big tall guy. He has a pretty good first ser ve. "I think there is something in genes of the Kiesel family. Helen (John and Noah's) sister was tough. John is tough and Noah is tougher," said Debord. "Noah is another versatile player. He plays Lucas, our number three singles player, close. It isn't like he is far off as a singler. We just have a lot of experience there. I think we are going to grow Noah into a doubles player this year. He is pretty crafty with his shots at the net," said Debord. He added, "Noah isn't super tall, but he is able to get to a lot of balls and make things hap - pen for us." While these seven are the line-up to begin the season, it isn't in concrete. "There are guys right on their heels, just not quite ready at this point, but that doesn't mean they won't be ready in a couple of weeks," said Debord. Debord thinks the Titans will be strong this season. "I think it looks pretty good. We have a lot of experience. We have a lot of players who are willing to put in the work to win. I don't want to say we are going to win this and that. We still have to go out there and beat whomever is in front of us. But we have a shot to beat any team we come across," said Debord. The Gibson Southern 2022 boys tennis team members are, front row (l to r): Daegan Schafer, Brayden Alldredge, Landon Schmitt, Sam Parmer, Carson Neidig, Devin Bane, Carson Agee and Kelton Leuhring; middle row: Emilee Bullock, Lilly Schmitt, Noah Bodenstein, Noah Kiesel, Mark Stunkel, Landon Kiesel, John Kiesel, Lucas Church, Dylan Bolton, Luke Stoll and Lillie Booth; assistant coach Matt Grabbe, assistant coach Andy Hollis, Isaiah Ralph, Ezra Pohl, Douglas Harrison, Eliott Church, Grant Wade, Jake Decker, Wyatt Kruse, Carter Crawford, Gracia Jones and head coach Kyle DeBord. Not pictured: Asst. Josh Nurrenbern and Sydney Purcell. BOYS TENNIS SCHEDULE ❚ Tuesday, Aug. 16 — Evansville North — 4:30 p.m. at Evansville North ❚ Thursday, Aug. 18 — Tell City — 5 p.m. at Tell City ❚ Friday, Aug. 19 — North Invite — 4:30 p.m. at Evansville North ❚ Saturday, Aug. 20 — North Invite — 9 a.m. at Evansville North ❚ Monday, Aug. 22 — Pike Central — 4:30 p.m. at Pike Central ❚ Tuesday, Aug. 23 — Wood Memorial — 4:30 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Thursday, Aug. 25 — Heritage Hills — 4:30 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Tuesday, Aug. 30 — North Posey — 4:30 p.m. at North Posey ❚ Thursday, Sept. 1 — Mt. Vernon — 4:45 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Saturday, Sept. 3 — Barr-Reeve — 9 a.m. at Barr-Reeve ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 6 — Princeton — 4:30 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Thursday, Sept. 8 — South Spencer — 4:30 p.m. at South Spencer ❚ Saturday, Sept. 10 — North Daviess — 9:30 a.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Monday, Sept. 12 — Southridge — 4:30 p.m. at Southridge ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 13 — Washington — 4:15 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Thursday, Sept. 15 — Tecumseh — 4 p.m. at Tecumseh ❚ Saturday, Sept. 17 — Evansville Reitz — 10 a.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Monday, Sept. 19 — Evansville Mater Dei — 4:30 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 20 — Boonville — 4:30 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Monday, Sept. 26 — Forest Park — 4:30 p.m. at Forest Park ❚ Monday, Sept. 19 — Boonville — 7 p.m. at Boonville ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 27 — Evansville North — 5 p.m. at Evansville North Ezra Pohl Wyatt Kruse Jake Decker Carter Crawford Eliott Church