Center Grove sophomore Tyler Lane is the Daily Journal’s Player of the Year in boys tennis for a second consecutive season.
Daily Journal file photo
Tyler Lane’s varsity debut last season was about as productive as the Center Grove player could have visualized.
His follow-up act wasn’t bad, either.
The sophomore No. 1 singles player for the Trojans, Lane led his team all the way to the semifinals of the state tournament in October, dropping a 3-2 heartbreaker to eventual champion North Central for a final team record of 23-6.
He wrapped up his second varsity go-round at 15-6 individually — a somewhat deceiving mark considering the difficulty of Center Grove’s schedule each season. His losses, for instance, came against top players from Columbus North, Bloomington South, Carmel and Hamilton Southeastern.
For the second straight season, Lane is the Daily Journal’s Player of the Year.
Somewhat of a relative unknown prior to the start of the 2021 season, Lane — who had been only the second ninth-grader to play No. 1 singles for former coach Ivan Smith — knew he would be shouldering more responsibility this time around.
“There was definitely more pressure this season than last because I wanted to do good for the team again,” Lane said. “I feel the mental side of my game was definitely better this season, and some of my groundstrokes, too.”
The sophomore missed some matches early in the season due to issues regarding his left pelvis; he eventually rounded into form, helping a squad dominated by underclassmen make its long postseason trek.
Joining Lane as a holdover from last season’s All-County team is Whiteland senior Ty McCullars, who completed his career second on the Warriors’ all-time victories list with 78.
In doubles, Center Grove junior Max Williams is another repeat from 2021, albeit with a different partner (Evan Davis) this time around.
Ever the perfectionist, Lane continues the quest to add dimensions to his overall game.
“I definitely think I have to increase the speed of my serve, and add some spin to it,” Lane said. “And my net game isn’t necessarily bad, but the players who made it further in the postseason have better net games. It’s reading the other player and reacting to what they do.”
Early on, first-year Trojans coach David Beasley, previously a Smith assistant, incorporated different 12 players into his lineup during competition in an attempt to see who worked best where (and with whom).
Despite having two other outstanding singles talents (junior Loc Pham and soph Daksh Patel) on his roster, Beasley kept the No. 1 spot as is.
“I’ve known Tyler since he was in middle school,” Beasley said. “He’s very aggressive and hits as big a ball as anybody in the state. Tyler has really stepped up as a leader, too.
“Coming in as a freshman, that was difficult for him, but he’s really evolved in that area just being more vocal on and off the court.”
ALL-COUNTY TEAM
Singles
Spencer Gillespie, Whiteland sophomore: Put together a 16-5 record as the top singles player in the Warriors’ lineup … All-District 5, All-Mid-State Conference and second team all-state selection.
Tyler Lane, Center Grove sophomore: Earned first team all-state and all-district honors after going 15-6 and leading Trojans to 23-6 record and semifinals of state tournament … A repeat selection as county player of the year.
Ty McCullars, Whiteland senior: Finished prep career second in singles victories (78) in Warriors history … Named all-Mid-State Conference, All-District 5 and honorable mention all-state … Chosen as an Indiana All-Star.
Noah Paswater, Greenwood junior: Record of 18-4 at No. 1 singles was good enough for honorable mention all-state status … An All-Mid-State Conference and All-District 5 pick.
Loc Pham, Center Grove junior: Chosen second-team all-state with a mark of 17-3 at the No. 2 spot … Also earned All-District 5 recognition.
Doubles
Chase Koester and Kai Koester, Whiteland: Twin juniors played in the No. 1 spot for the Warriors, finishing with a 15-7 record … Chase was also an honorable mention all-county selection last season in doubles.
Aiden Pemberton and Landon Sichting, Indian Creek: Record of 21-3 included a spotless 8-0 mark against Western Indiana Conference opponents … Won sectional doubles title, becoming first Braves tandem to make it to regional since 1996.
Max Williams and Evan Davis, Center Grove: Named first team all-state and all-district after finishing with a record of 11-3 together.
Honorable mention
Singles: Max Blandford, Edinburgh; Brendan Conner, Indian Creek; Reid Davidson, Franklin; Caleb Funkhouser, Franklin; Daksh Patel, Center Grove
Doubles: Carson Bush/Dimitri Kandris, Center Grove; Gavin Stubbe/Isaac Phegley, Whiteland; Trent Volz/Aaron Spurgeon, Indian Creek
