Fueled by their past experiences, the 2024 Center Grove (CG) boys tennis team is determined to make another deep run in the state tournament. Despite losing to state champ North Central 2-3 two seasons ago in the final four, and Columbus North 2-3 in the semi-state last season, the Trojans are optimistic for another strong showing in this year’s state tournament. CG’s third-year head coach, David Beasley, is confident that they can build on these postseason tournament successes.
“Our primary goal is to stay healthy during the regular season and be ready to play in the sectional with a full lineup,” said Beasley. “Our group of seniors largely have the experience of playing in the state finals in 2022, and we look to return this October. We’re relying on a very large and experienced group of seniors to play a crucial role this year and lead in the growth of the underclassmen, which will be vital to the success of future seasons.”
The Trojans boast six seniors, led by number-one singles player Tyler Lane. Lane has played number-one singles since his freshman year and has received the Johnson County Player of the Year award three times. He was named second-team all-state in his freshman year and first-team all-state in his sophomore and junior years.
The number-one doubles team includes seniors Carson Bush and Daksh Patel. Bush received second-team all-state honors last season in doubles, and Patel was named honorable mention all-state in singles the past two seasons.
Senior Quinn Smith is a very versatile player, playing both singles and doubles, but is slated to play singles this season.
Seniors Russell Dean and Dimitri Kandris will team up for number-two doubles. Dean was named second-team all-state in doubles in 2023, and Kandris earned honorable mention all-state in doubles in 2022.
The lone underclassman completing the varsity roster will be sophomore Yuvraj Dasari. Dasari played two doubles last year but is a rising singles player in the Trojan lineup. He will play singles this season and anticipates taking over number-one singles in 2025.
The Trojans have been preparing for the 2024 season since their semi-state loss to Columbus North last season.
“For the last six months we have been primarily focusing on doubles tactics and skills to increase our chances of securing doubles wins during critical moments,” said Beasley. “Many players have been playing individual tournaments year-round in preparation for this season, which has been paired with rehabbing injuries and weaknesses to ensure optimal health for the state tournament in October.”
Beasley has been part of the CG coaching staff for six years. He says this is the most depth he has seen in the Trojans’ program during that period.
“This is the deepest high school team we have ever had,” said Beasley. “It’s encouraging to look towards the future and know that we have younger players, even in elementary school, who have a huge passion for the sport, which will positively impact the program for years. Success on the court is a vital goal for our program. However, the main goal is to prepare our student-athletes for life after high school. It’s such a joy to see previous athletes’ accomplishments, and to be able to attribute some of their success and growth as individuals to the sport they love.”
