The Manhattan High boys tennis team continue their winning streak in both away and home meets.

The Indians hosted their first home meet against Junction City, Marysville and Highland Park and ended the day winning on their grounds.

Manhattan won this tournament with nine wins, JC with eight, Marysville with six and Highland Park with one. Highland Park was short on players so the Indians had to substitute Tanner Knapp at No. 2 singles and the team of Rawson Evans and senior August Balman at No. 2 doubles for them.  

No.1 singles Abdual Naeem went 2-1, Blaine Snyder went 1-2 and both our doubles teams went 3-0. For Marysville, Knapp went 3-0 and Evans and Balman went 2-1.

“I thought all our players played well, particularly our doubles,” coach Bob Kelly said. “If I could sum up the day in a word, I would say Go-rilla.”

Later that week, the boys traveled to Salina for the Salina South Invitational where they won against eight teams.

During the tournament, senior Collin Queal injured his shoulder and was unable to play, therefore, the No.1 doubles team did not play. Senior Kirkland Lambert, Queal’s partner, played singles against junior Brice Easton in the finals tournament. Lambert won in his bracket by beating Easton 7-5 in a tie breaker.

“It was a very evenly-matched competitive final match for the championship,” Kelly said. “I was particularly impressed with the play of Easton, who performed as well as he has all season.”

Senior Carter Nelson, who usually plays singles, was put in a doubles team with senior Kevin Harper as a last minute pair-up.

“We didn’t play well,” Nelson said. “Because we got put in at the last minute together. We don’t usually play together, I usually play singles, and it just takes a while to get used to the partner.”

Harper and Nelson placed eighth, and senior Ben Turnley and junior Matt Turnley placed third  in their bracket out of the 16 entries.

“The Turnleys played as well as they have all season,” Kelly said. “Playing both aggressively and consistently. They were beaten by a good Smokey Valley team but represented themselves well. I expect them to build upon their performance for the rest of the season.”

The team will travel to Emporia for the Quad tournament before League.