BOYS TENNIS STATE STORYLINES

CLASS 6A

At Blue Jay Tennis Facility, Junction City
 

OLATHE NORTHWEST CAPITALIZES ON 'WIDE-OPEN FIELD' AT REGIONALS, PAIRS DOUBLES, TEAM TITLES

When it comes to regional assignments for 6A boys tennis, most of the teams in the KC area expect that one of the two regionals, usually about every other year, will get stacked with a majority of the traditionally elite teams in that classification.

The group is generally made up of teams like Shawnee Mission East and a slew of Eastern Kansas League teams, now led by a Blue Valley West squad pursuing a third straight 6A state title.

But while that regional stands out with top-heavy talent and how tough it is for the top contenders to field a full slate of state qualifiers, it also means that the other regional ends up leaving the door open for other teams to make some noise.

Once Olathe Northwest head coach Drew Smith took a look at this year’s regional assignments, he knew his team could be one of the squads to take advantage of what he saw as a wide-open field.

“I’m a bit of a numbers/prognostication nerd,” Smith said. “After the seeding meeting went the way it did, I knew that if we just played to our seeds and no one else exceeded theirs dramatically, we had a shot.”

His team ended up doing just that.

On the strength of the Ravens’ two doubles teams, Olathe Northwest scored 14 points to win the regional team title in the Olathe South regional on May 10 at College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe. They finished ahead of Mill Valley and Olathe South, which both finished with 10 points.

“This group of boys, and their families, kind of feels like one big family,” Smith said. “As a coach who preaches ‘tennis is a team sport,’ this kind of result is reinforcement that I’m doing things the right way.”

Juniors Bryan Branstrom and Aidan Messerly also won a regional title in doubles, defeating their own teammates in the finals. Branstrom and Messerly earned a 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5) win over senior William Stewart and freshman Mitchell Terhune.

“It was the least stressful part of my day, except that I really wanted both teams to be able to win,” Smith said. “It was the best tennis either team played all day, because the nerves were gone and it was just pure desire to win.”

Despite both duos entering regionals as the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds respectively, it was not exactly an easy path to the finals for either squad.

Branstrom and Messerly had their first two matches decided in a tiebreaker. To start their day, the Ravens’ top doubles team faced off with Free State’s Keifer Bullock and Galeno Wills. This Firebirds duo made quick work of their opening round match with a 8-0 victory before keeping the momentum going in their next match. Bullock and Wills squeaked out a 7-6 win in the first set against Branstrom and Messerly. But the Ravens quickly recovered on the way to a 6-7, 6-0, (5) victory.

But another pair of Firebirds were waiting for the Ravens in the quarterfinals. Free State junior Jacob Wang and sophomore Connor Coons gave Branstrom and Messerly their first loss of the season with a 8-5 win during a tournament on April 16 at the CBAC facility.

“We had a chance to push that set to a tiebreaker and couldn’t capitalize,” Smith said of his duo in that one.

The Ravens were able to even the score, earning a 8-1 win when they faced off again the next week in Lawrence.

During the rubber match, Branstrom and Messerly took the first set 6-1, but Wang and Coons refused to lose in the second set, taking it 7-5. 

“When that pair (of Wang and Coons) is on, they can hang with the better players in the state,” he said. “In the second set, a couple of things didn’t go our way and doubt crept in.”

Despite needing to go the distance in back-to-back rounds against the Firebirds, Branstrom and Messerly had more than enough left in the tank. The Ravens closed out with a 10-3 win in the super tiebreaker.

Smith credits the duo’s strong chemistry, having reached 100 high school matches as doubles partners, in helping them power through that second-set setback against Wang and Coons.

“They typically do a great job of hitting reset and focusing and keeping each other positive,” he said.

Branstrom and Messerly were able to get some rest by avoiding another grueling match in semifinals, instead earning a 6-1, 6-2 win over Olathe East seniors Jackson Hyer and Jackson Janeway.

On the other side of the bracket, Stewart and Mitchell had a much easier start to the day before having a couple tiebreakers at the end. They won their opening match 6-2, 6-3 before earning a 6-4, 6-4 win over Olathe South senior Cooper Hodapp and sophomore Derek Traudt in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, they went up against Mill Valley juniors Adam Bailey and Jack Thomas. This Jaguars duo started out as the 11-seed before riding a tiebreaker win and 6-1, 6-4 victory to become regional semifinalists.

Stewart and Mitchell won the first set 6-1, but needed to win the second set in a tiebreaker at 7-6 (4).

When the two Ravens doubles teams met in the finals, it was only a “razor-thin” margin between each duo, according to Smith.

“In a match like that, it’s hard to pinpoint anything one team did better,” Smith added. “Aidan and Bryan just made one more ball than their opponents—0.1% better, I guess.”

Although the two doubles teams already scored enough points to clinch the regional title, the Ravens did get another point from a performer in singles.

Sophomore Zaid Askar started with a tough draw as the No. 8 seed in the singles bracket. After earning a 6-3, 6-3 win over Olathe North junior Ethan Long, Askar ran into Olathe South sophomore Nolan Fosha, who would go on to win the regional title. Fosha sent Askar to the backside of the bracket with 6-1, 6-1 win.

Askar only needed one more win to join his four teammates from the doubles bracket as state qualifiers. Instead, Free State junior Drew Harrison took 6-0, 6-2 win before ultimately finishing fifth in the regional.

In addition to the one point he earned for his team with his victory at regionals, his coach is proud of how Askar played strong in an unexpected role as the team’s No. 1 singles player.

“Zaid is probably our fourth or fifth best player, but he was tasked with the grind of playing number one singles,” Smith said. “There aren’t many kids in the state who would do what I asked Zaid to do all season and maintain such a positive outlook.”

Askar finished his season with a resume that includes wins over a 5A regional singles champion in Piper junior Blake Taylor and a 6A regional runner-up in Topeka junior Ronald Lassiter.

Smith is excited to see how much his experience this season will impact Askar’s performance going forward.

“He’s like a sponge—always willing to learn and grow,” he said. “His teammates have helped a lot too, giving him technical pointers at practice. I think he’s poised to take a big step next year.”

Although the Ravens will have a regional champion and regional runner-up heading to Junction City for the 6A state doubles bracket, the team has also already tempered expectations for that.

“We know what we’re up against,” he said. “Many of the top doubles teams in the state are in the other Northeast Kansas region, and we have realistic goals for how this weekend will go."

Branstrom, Messerly and Stewart all have experience playing at state. As a freshman, Terhune will be the only one competing at state for the first time. Of course, he does have a handful of trips to state as a spectator. His sister, Riley Terhune, won a doubles state title in the fall alongside fellow senior Hannah Carney. With Olathe Northwest's Mithila Dixit winning the singles bracket, the Ravens would end up sweeping the 6A titles by bringing home the team title, a first for the program.

Smith and his players competing at this state tournament are not in any way planning to take on goals as lofty as replicating what their counterparts on the Ravens girls tennis team accomplished. Instead, they will be focused on maximizing their own results in an effort to still bring home some hardware.

“If we can keep the same competitive spirit we’ve been building on over the second half of this season, I’m optimistic both teams can bring home medals," he said.


CLASS 5A

At Salina Tennis Center
 

BISHOP CARROLL FRESHMAN ENTERS FIRST STATE MEET BATTLE-TESTED
 
The situation didn’t look great for Bishop Carroll’s Brandon Steven at last week’s Class 5A regional in Arkansas City.
 
Steven’s berth in the state tournament was already secure. But after a 7-4 first-set tiebreaker loss to Ark City senior Dawson O’Donnell in Saturday’s semifinals, the freshman’s back was against the wall in his quest for a regional title.
 
“After the first set against Dawson, I was really tired,” Steven said. “I started cramping up a lot. I really felt like my coach (Darren Huslig) helped me out with my mentality. I don’t usually like to give up. I’m very stubborn.”
 
Within minutes, Steven flipped a switch that showed why he’ll enter the 5A state tournament as a singles title contender. He rallied past O’Donnell – a state champion in doubles last season with older brother Oakley – 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1. Then in the championship match, Steven outdueled last year’s 5A singles runner-up Evan Goates of Maize South 7-6 (3), 6-4 to earn the No. 2 seed in the state tournament, which begins Friday at Salina Tennis Center.
 
Coaches in the Ark City regional labeled it the “Region of Doom,” with six of the top eight teams in last year’s 5A state meet competing. The field’s balance was highlighted in singles, where the six state qualifiers came from six teams. In doubles, only Andover got both of its entries through to state.
 
Steven, who has a 22-1 record, navigated the regional mine field with grit that has served him well at times in his first high school season. Even in his lone loss, an 8-5 decision in early April to 5A top seed and reigning singles champion Sanjay Rajkumar of Blue Valley Southwest, Steven was at victory’s doorstep, leading 5-4.
 
“We knew he was a top-quality player,” Huslig said. “We didn’t know how determined he was to make sure he wins a match. He fights really hard and it might not be going his way, but he doesn’t shut down. He’s able to say, ‘Let’s try a different tactic.’
 
“The point is never over with Brandon until the ball bounces twice.”
 
The Steven family has produced state champions at Wichita’s two Catholic schools – Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt. Carmel – for decades. Last year, Carroll’s Rock Steven finished third in 5A singles as a freshman, and figured to be a top returnee for this year’s team.
 
With Rock opting for homeschooling this year, Brandon, his cousin, has admirably filled the void for the Golden Eagles.
 
“It’s been a little bit tougher than I expected physically,” Steven said. “There’s a lot of matches on tournament days. But it’s been a lot of fun, too. A lot of the matches I’ve played have been against friends.”
 
Steven, who qualified for state along with Carroll’s doubles team of junior Gabe Weber and freshman Braeden Dugan, has put together an impressive playing resume in the process.
 
His list of victories includes two against Class 6A regional champion Hayden Herrera of Maize. Steven also topped Eisenhower’s Kyle King, a 5A regional champion and a frequent hitting partner.
 
Steven’s regional championship victory marked just the second loss of the season for Goates, a junior who has split two matches this spring with Rajkumar after falling to him in last year’s state final.
 
“I’ve trained with Dawson, but I haven’t hit very much with Evan,” Steven said. “It was new and I had to adapt. It was that way with Sanjay, too.
 
“That was my second tournament, and I was really excited to play him. I didn’t know how good he was going to be. It was a very competitive match, but I learned I had to be more patient with myself. I tried to be aggressive against him. He’s a senior and he knows how to play. It taught me a lot about being more patient and not try to do everything for looks. Just play your game.”


CLASS 4A

At T.H. Vaughan Tennis Center, Winfield
 

PARSONS SWEEPS REGIONAL TITLES, FINALLY OVERCOMES INDEPENDENCE AS VIKINGS SET SIGHTS ON 4A STATE TITLE

Over the last two seasons, the Parsons boys tennis team delivered some of the program’s top postseason finishes since the Vikings won four straight 4A state titles from 1999-2002.

But after leaving state in 2023 with a runner-up finish, Parsons landed one spot lower with its performance last spring.

Although Independence saw its three-year state title streak end, it was Buhler who knocked off the Bulldogs for the top spot.

Parsons ended up finishing a spot behind Independence for the second straight season, at both regionals and at state.

This year, the Vikings have already ended the first of those two streaks in regards to finishing behind Independence in the postseason. 

Parsons not only won its regional title as a team, pushing Independence to the runner-up spot after winning five straight, but the Vikings also swept singles and doubles titles.

Parsons junior Wyatt Shultz won his second straight regional title, both against the same player from the Bulldogs. Shultz beat Independence senior Keith Sanders in the finals 6-0, 6-1. In the same match at last year’s regionals, Shultz beat Sanders 6-1, 6-0.

Although the singles title at regionals for Shultz, who sits at 26-3 on the year, was not exactly a surprise, the Vikings’ domination of the doubles bracket was not as easy to predict, at least not before the season started.

Parsons junior Cole Kennett and senior Conner Barcus earned a 6-3, 6-4 win over their own teammates in a match against seniors Davion Holman and Mason Morris.

“Even though Cole and Conner have come out on top in both the league and regional finals, it’s getting closer,” Parsons coach Jane Posch said. “Both teams are playing with confidence and feel like they can beat anyone.”

Although all four players earned medals in doubles at state last year, the best result between them was a 10th-place finish. They also accomplished that in different pairings. Kennett and Holman took 10th in doubles last year while Barcus and Morris finished 12th.

“I felt at the end of the season our partners in doubles did not gel,” Posch said.

Posch also saw a change in Kennett’s game that turned him into the perfect complement to Barcus this season.

“Cole Kennett's game had really improved over the course of the season and proved himself with his big serve for one thing.”

Barcus also improved his serve this year, along with building upon other parts of his game as well.

“(Barcus) is not afraid to go for his shots,” she said. “On both sides he packs a punch. (Kennett) has a massive serve. I think what has improved the most is their power along with consistency and with that comes confidence.”

With the new pairings, Parsons also saw a change in their schedule compared to previous seasons.

“I wanted a more difficult schedule this year,” she said.

The reason for the change was simple: “Wyatt needed more competition.”

But that also gave the rest of the team more opportunities to improve as well.

“All of our guys have been trying to keep up with Wyatt with his pace for the last four years,” she said.

Over the last three years, Posch has seen Shultz’s game continue to mature and grow.

“He is a little guy but packs a big punch,” she said. “He really is an all-court player and knows how to finish a point. His backhand has more punch. Along with his speed, he has great anticipation. He has more variety with his serves and can hit his spots.”

With Shultz continuing to polish up his game and his teammates striving to keep up with him, the Vikings feel like they’re finally coming together at the right time to try to bring home that state title.

“Winning league and regionals has been a goal for our guys,” she said. “We keep getting runners-up to Independence. Now that four of our guys are seniors, the guys knew it was their time.”

Even with the tougher schedule, Parsons won all except one tournament this season. The lone exception was a runner-up finish in the Baldwin Invitational. Parsons played in that tournament without Barcus, who had a scheduling conflict with a different school activity that day.

The only player who will be missing from the Vikings varsity squad at state is Tanner Nolting. After a 6-0, 6-1 win in his opening match at regionals, Nolting was down 7-5, 2-2 against Iola’s Mosiah Fawson before Nolting ended up retiring from the match with a medical issue that sent him to the hospital.

Nolting made a quick recovery, but he would still finish one win shy of joining his teammates at state.

After Nolting finished sixth in singles last year, this could be the difference in Parsons keeping up with reigning champ Buhler.

“We potentially go up against Buhler twice,” she said. “If we play to our seeds, we have a chance to be in the running.”

One of those possible matches with Buhler would be a rematch between Shultz and reigning champ Davian Spies. As freshman, Shultz defeated Spies in the semifinals at state before losing in the finals against Independence’s Kale Groff.

Spies, who won the 2022 state championship in singles before an injury undercut his sophomore campaign in 2023, returned to form last year to defeat Shultz in the finals, winning 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-2.

Along with Shultz facing a tough result to close out state, the rest of teammates also had rough performances on Day 2 as the team finished behind Buhler and Independence. With how close the players are on this year’s team, Posch fully expected her team to deliver strong performances on both days as they pursue their goal of winning a state title.

“They know we didn’t play up to their potential on Day 2 last year and are ready this year,” Posch said.


CLASS 3-2-1A

At Kossover Tennis Center, Topeka
 

NO QUESTION, MOVE TO DOUBLES WAS RIGHT DECISION FOR CAIR PARAVEL’S FAY, BUCHENAU
 
It wasn’t exactly a third-degree grilling Eric Buchenau encountered when he arrived at Cair Paravel in mid-October after beginning his foreign exchange season at Silver Lake.
 
But let’s just say there was a very interested party waiting for him with plenty of questions.
 
“I just came up to him and I was trying to figure out how good he was because I knew he played tennis,” Cair Paravel junior Drew Fay said. “I wanted someone to play doubles with so I was asking him a bunch of questions to try and get an idea.”
 
Instead of being caught off guard and perhaps put off by Fay’s somewhat forward introduction, Buchenau welcomed the inquisition. 
 
“I was excited,” Buchenau said. “I was so happy that I had a doubles partner.”
 
As much as Buchenau’s answers satisfied Fay, he found out all he needed to know when the two started to train together at Topeka Country Club. They quickly formed a bond that’s translated into a big spring season for the duo.
 
After capturing the doubles title at last week’s Class 3-2-1A regional at Kossover Tennis Center in Topeka, Fay and Buchenau will take a 26-1 record into this weekend’s state tournament, also being played at Kossover. They will be the No. 3 seed for the tournament.
 
For as much success as Fay and Buchenau have enjoyed this season, their partnership wasn’t exactly a given going into the season. Both had primarily only played singles throughout their careers.
 

 
Fay, in fact, was coming off a fourth-place finish in singles at last year’s Class 3-2-1A state tournament, finishing the season with a 23-11 record after falling to eventual champion Caleb Bartels of Kansas City Christian in the semifinals and then to Wichita Collegiate’s Charlie Gentile in the third-place match.
 
With both Bartels, who won three straight singles titles, and last year’s runner-up, Central Plains’ Peyton Ryan, having graduated last spring, the Class 3-2-1A crown is up for grabs this spring and Fay was one of the top returning contenders along with Gentile.
 
While that made it tempting to stay in singles, Fay also knew the path to the state championship in that draw wasn’t getting any easier.
 
“I was aware that there were some freshmen coming in who were better than me, so I probably was going to finish in a similar spot anyways,” Fay said in his assessment of the singles competition this year which added talented freshman in the likes of Wichita Collegiate’s Amir Khicha (17-1), Hoisington’s Jasper Pawlowski (21-5) as well as Fay’s younger brother Cole (20-7).
 
“I’ve always wanted to play doubles but never really had a partner. So when Eric came in, it was the perfect opportunity to get to play doubles. So it wasn’t a hard decision.”
 

 
Buchenau, meanwhile, had played singles almost exclusively growing up in his hometown of Stuttgart, Gremany, taking up the sport when he was in fourth grade.
 
He was already making one big transition this spring, having also grown up playing almost exclusively on clay courts. Adding a new style in doubles play to the mix was simply another dimension to things.
 
“The first week I was really frustrated,” Buchenau said, mostly of his transition to hard court surface from his clay court background. “Even the first month. But I’ve slowly adjusted. Right now I’m pretty comfortable and when I go back I think it will be hard for me to change back because I think I’m more comfortable on hard court than clay.”
 
It didn’t take long for the duo to get comfortable playing with each other.
 
“I feel like we kind of clicked form the beginning. At first, we didn’t really have all the doubles skills that you need, but we both worked hard in the offseason with the plan of playing doubles together to get where we needed to be by the time the season started.
 
“I still feel more comfortable playing singles, but after the first meet we felt really comfortable playing doubles.”
 
Fay said that while each of them have similar styles when they’re playing singles, they’ve adapted their styles to the doubles game. Buchenau has become the team’s net presence while Fay roams the baseline.
 
“Before I came to America, I wasn’t comfortable at the net at all,” Buchenau said. “But I’ve learned to volley.”
 
Fay and Buchenau hit the ground running, having only one match in their first three meets closer than an 8-3 decision, that an 8-5 win over Winfield’s Jackson Davis and Adam Everett, who were runner-up at their Class 4A regional last week.
 
After a two-week break, the Lion duo returned to action at the Mark Dahlsten Invitational in Hesston on April 29 and that tourney proved to be their toughest test of the season. After beating Wichita Collegiate’s Vihaan Ganganala and James Nolan 8-5 to start the tourney, they took an 8-3 win over Smoky Valley’s Gabe and Zeke Baker, who finished sixth at state last year.
 
In the semifinals, Fay and Buchenau ran into defending Class 3-2-1A doubles championship Carter and Maddox Drumright of Wichita Colleigate. The Spartan brother combination dominated the match in an 8-2 victory.
 
As tough as that loss was, it was also an eye-opener for the Lion tandem.
 
“We just saw how much we still need to work if we want to be able to win state,” Fay said. “We got beat pretty bad. We saw that we’re not where we need to be yet.”
 
Nor was the loss discouraging.
 
“I’ve thought a lot about the match we lost,” Buchenau said. “There are a few things that we can improve on. I’m pretty confident that we have a pretty good chance against them.”
 
Fay and Buchenau rebounded to pull out an 8-7 (7-4) win over Buhler’s Von Woleslagel and Reuben Harder to take third at the tourney and they haven’t lost since. They’ve had two big-time battles during their current nine-match winning streak, pulling out a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win over Washburn Rural’s Dylan Willingham and Cale Deutscher – a 6A regional champion – in the finals to the Topeka City Invitational and also beating Wichita Classical’s Noah Doom and Isaac Yourdon 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 in their next outing with each of that duo qualifying for state in singles.
 
At 26-1, Fay and Buchenau have the second-best record in the 3-2-1A state doubles draw behind only the Drumrights, who are 21-0.
 
“For me, I thought it would go about how it’s been going,” Fay said. “Eric’s a good player and I’m a pretty good player. I thought we would work pretty well so I’m not really surprised it’s gone as well as it has.”
 
“At first I didn’t have any expectations,” Buchenau said. “But as we got going, I wanted to make state and do well at state.”
 
Fay and Buchenau will be on the opposite side of the bracket from the Drumrights. After receiving a first-round bye, the duo will await the winner of the opening match between Haven’s Brady Peterson and Devin Boice and Ellinwood’s Ty Hammeke and Ethan Schlochtermeier. A potential quarterfinal showdown looms with Central Plains’ Paxton and Peyton Dody, who are 25-5 and also on the Lions’ side of the bracket are No. 2 seed William Farha and Ganganala of Collegiate, a freshman duo paired together for the first time at regionals and bring just a 3-1 record into state with their only loss also to the Drumrights.
 
“It’s definitely realistic,” Fay said of a state championship. “It’s not going to be easy, obviously. But it’s a possibility.”
 

CENTRAL PLAINS PUTS TOGETHER ANOTHER STRONG YEAR, QUALIFIES EVERYONE FOR STATE 

One of the top programs among schools its size, Central Plains has enjoyed another banner season on the courts. 

Despite graduating a three-time state singles runner-up in Peyton Ryan from last year, the Oilers won most of their tournaments in the regular season before capturing a regional team title at Conway Springs.

Central Plains will send its entire team from regionals to this weekend’s Class 3-2-1A tournament in Topeka. 

“They’ve gone into all their matches ready to go,” Central Plains coach Michael Ryan said. “They’ve been a lot of fun in practice, and that’s where a big part of it starts.”

The Claflin community has a proud tennis history that was built by former coach Gary Bittner, who retired a few years ago and handed the reins of the program to Ryan. 

“What (Bittner) started at Claflin and then Central Plains is really amazing,” said Ryan, a former standout for the Oilers. “You don’t see little small towns and schools like us be successful in the tennis world very often. He did a great job of getting it started. He’s made my life really easy, just being able to step in and try not to mess it up.

“A big thing for us is our youth program. We have a three-week long camp in the summer and we try to get the kids started young so they enjoy it and want to play when they get to high school.”

Camden Stiles turned in a strong freshman campaign last year as the Oilers’ No. 2 singles player last year behind Peyton Ryan. Stiles has been tremendous at the No. 1 spot this season, taking a 24-1 record to Topeka. He took seventh in 3-2-1A last year. 

Stiles beat Sterling's Jace Darnauer, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4 in the regional final. Stiles’ only loss came to Buhler’s Davian Spies, a two-time singles state champion in 4A. 

“Camden is every coach’s dream,” Ryan said. “He’s an absolute worker. He’s at the courts more than anybody around here, just wanting to get better. Truly a competitor. 

“He’s played people this year that are probably more talented than him, or just as talented, but he’s been able to compete really well and come out with a lot of victories.”

Central Plains’ No. 1 doubles team of Paxton Dody and Peyton Dody will take a 25-5 record into state. They were regional runners-up to Conway Springs’ Layne Whitney and Isaac Winter. 

Ryan said a key for the Dodys this season has been improving their on-court chemistry. 

“It has been really cool to see them actually start to like each other,” Ryan said with a chuckle. “Before, they just went at each other’s heads all the time. They really seem to have grown a lot closer. They’re both obviously good tennis players, and they work really well together now.”

The Oilers’ No. 2 doubles team of Nethan Cauthon and Alden Metro is 24-6 on the season. 

“They’ve done a really good job of competing in practice, because they are right there behind the Dodys all the time,” Ryan said. “It’s great having two really strong doubles teams so they can push each other.”

Rounding out the Oilers’ state qualifiers is No. 2 singles player Cale Thompson (14-17). 

Central Plains edged Conway Springs for the regional title with 19 points to the Cardinals’ 16. 

“That was one of the more difficult regionals in the state, overall, top to bottom,” Ryan said. 

Ryan called powerhouse Wichita Collegiate untouchable in the team title battle but said the Oilers’ would love a shot at placing in the top three as a team. 

“We just talk about playing our best match and hopefully at the end of the day things will take care of itself,” Ryan said.