CLAFLIN — On April 18, the Ellsworth Bearcat varsity boys’ tennis team traveled to Central Plains for a quad tournament. They tied for first place with Central Plains, earning 22 points. The No. 1 doubles team of junior Brendan Anderson and senior Chase Bourbon contributed 9 of those points.

According to Anderson, “we went out and competed and played with confidence,” which led to a 3-0 record. Their first match ended 8-2, the second 8-0 and the third 8-1.

“We may not have played as good as we wanted to at times, but when it came down to it, we didn’t let it affect us and we didn’t lose a match this week,” Anderson said.

Anderson and Bourbon previously went to state and hope to continue that legacy of success this season.

“This year I’m just trying to get 1 percent better every day by giving my all in practice and doing a lot more conditioning than I ever have,” Anderson said.

Anderson is coached by his father, Head Coach Eric Anderson. Brendan Anderson said there are positives and negatives to that.

“Since he’s the coach, I’ve been able to be around tennis since I was able to walk,” Brendan Anderson said. “If I ever have a question or need the keys to the tennis court, all I have to do is walk across the hall. Since I’ve been around so much, I can take some of the weight off of him and help him coach the rest of the guys.”

The one con for him, he noted, was that “sometimes it’s hard for me to realize that he’s talking to me as a coach and not as my dad.”

“It’s different … coaching your own kids is both a blessing and a curse,” Eric Anderson said.

He added the varsity team is improving day-by-day. “There is still room for improvement. Hopefully we peak at the right time at regionals and state,” Eric Anderson said.

No. 1 singles player junior Jacob Togersen went 1-2. He played against Meade’s Vincent Lynn, Trinity’s Aidan Suter-Tan and Central Plain’s Peyton Ryan. The No. 2 singles player was senior Caleb Romero who went 3-0 and gave the team 8 points.

The No. 2 doubles team consisting of junior Anthony Halbgewachs and freshman Guage Weder went 2-1.

“(At the meet) I felt like I could have learned a bit more and done better, but overall it was okay,” Weder said. “My favorite part about tennis is going against other people and seeing where I stand, and overall bettering myself in the sport.”

The next varsity tennis meet is today at Hoisington at 9 a.m.

“We may not have played as good as we wanted to at times, but when it came down to it, we didn’t let it affect us and we didn’t lose a match this week.”

Eric Anderson Head Coach