Having an inexperienced and small roster is nothing that Ravenna Ravens boys’ tennis Coach Brittany Kohnaski is not used too by now. According to her, what the Ravens lack in experience they make up for with a positive attitude for this season.
“I think it should be good because I think they seem willing to learn and how to play with just a little bit of time that I have had with them,” said the eight-year coach. “I actually like going to practices and seeing them progress just from the couple of weeks they have been playing.”
Although Ravenna graduated three seniors, the Ravens’ roster size only dropped from 10 to 9. Kohanski said it was a positive sign to see the team remain roughly the same size as it was last year.
Starting at number one singles will be sophomore Preston Hatcher, who competed as Ravenna’s third singles player last year.
Despite only having a few years of tennis under his belt, Hatcher has been a fast learner, already becoming the Ravens’ first singles player.
“He is athletic and is pretty smart so I think that it will be a learning curve, but I think he has developed more skills in the offseason,” noted Kohanski. “That should help him out but he is only a sophomore so that should help too. He will have two more years playing there.”
Ravenna’s second singles player will be Derek Skilton, playing in singles full-time for the first time in his varsity career after competing in second doubles last year.
Kohanski said that Skilton’s skillset translates well in both singles and doubles because of his tall frame and athleticism.
“Him being tall gives him some advantages with serving. I think he has some potential but he just needs experience,” she added. “A lot of the taller players can get extension and their serve is a weapon and key in their play. Most good tennis players are pretty tall.”
Playing third singles will be senior Lily Schofield, competing in her fourth varsity season of boys’ tennis.
Kohanski said that Schofield has competed in volleyball during the fall season instead of participating in girls’ tennis and will be playing her fourth straight season with the boys.
Schofield has primarily been a doubles player in her last three seasons but Kohanski is inserting her into the line-up as a singles player given her vast experience.
“She is a senior and is used to it,” Kohnaski noted. “When she came out her first year she was the only girl but it helps that she knows me from a school perspective too, so we have a pretty good rapport so it is nice to have her sometimes. Playing boys does not faze her at all and she does pretty well.”
Kohanski is still considering her doubles tandems with freshman Jack Ranone, sophomore Jason Hawkins, senior Ryan Hall, freshman Jordyn Allen and Stephen Presley.
Allen joins Schofield as the only other female player on the boys’ team and joins the program this spring after also competing on the volleyball team.
According to Kohnaski, it is not uncommon for boys’ tennis teams in the Metro Athletic Conference to be coed because of the lack of depth across the league.
She added that she may rotate her doubles teams depending on the match-up but even though she has a young squad consisting of only two seniors, she likes the fact she can mold some of her players for many years.
“They are mostly brand new,” she said. “The freshmen that have come this year have only picked up a racket for fun but do not know any technical things so I pretty much have to start from square one with everybody.”
Schofield returns as the player with the most experience on the squad this year and Kohanski said she has provided a lot of value mentoring her younger teammates.
Even though Hall is the only other senior on the team and is only in his second year of varsity tennis, Kohanski said he also has shown leadership.
“Lily does a lot of leading and stuff at practice and even though it is only Ryan’s second year he does a good job of trying to help people,” she said. “They are really good kids for the most part and they listen pretty well.”
Despite the Ravens’ youth, Kohanski said she believes her squad will be competitive in the MAC.
