Staying hot heading into the state championships, the Parsons Vikings claimed the KSHSAA 4A regional title on Friday at Forest Park — but it came with a heavy cost.
Parsons registered 21 points to stake its claim to first place.
Independence was runner- up with 17 points, followed by Chanute (8), Fort Scott and Iola (6). Labette County and Coffeyville did not earn points.
However, Parsons singles player and three-time state qualifier Tanner Nolting was forced to medically retire from the tournament in the middle of his second match.
“It was so unfortunate,” Parsons head coach Jane Posch said. “It was something we weren’t expecting. Tanner is such a good player and he was having such a good year. It was so disheartening. But there’s nothing we can do about it. His body wasn’t letting him play and he had to drop out.”
Wyatt Shultz dominated the singles bracket for Parsons, defeating Keith Sanders of Independence in the championship match, 6-0, 6-1.
“We just don’t have to worry about him,” Posch said. “We knew he’s going to get it done. We upped our competition this year to be able to help Wyatt and the rest of our team to see better players. He’s really been a joy to watch.”
Shultz will be among the favorites to play for a singles state title in Winfield this weekend, which could be a rematch of last year’s state championship against Buhler’s Davian Spies.
“Wyatt has to hold off and match (Spies’) backhand,” Posch said. “Facing tougher competition has helped Wyatt. And he’s playing with more intensity. He needs to keep the game flowing at the state tournament.”
Conner Barcus and Cole Kennett won the doubles title for Parsons, beating teammates Mason Morris and Davion Holman, 6-3, 6-4, in the title showdown.
“I feel really, really good about where our doubles are at. They gel well together,” Posch said. “Cole has so much power and he can deliver with his ground strokes. Conner’s serve has come around so much and he plays with so much pace. It’s fun to watch the two of them play.”
Holman and Morris have caught fire as of late and are expected to get a top-eight seed at state.
“They’re probably going to get seeded right behind (Cole and Conner) at state,” Posch said. “They have some great wins over Independence and Chanute. They’re playing with a lot of confidence.”
Up next
Parsons will head to the KSHSAA 4A State Championships in Winfield, which start on Friday. The Vikings are among the contenders to win a state title as a team — Nolting’s absence may leave points off the board, but Posch still has her squad penciled in alongside Buhler.
“Tanner got us a few points last year that got us to third place, so missing Tanner is huge,” Posch said. “But we can overcome that if our doubles teams finish up in the top eight. That’s very doable.”
This is the window for the Vikings — Barcus, Nolting, Holman and Morris are all seniors.
“We’ve been talking about this for years,” Posch said. “It’s been in the back of our minds. They knew when this year came around, they’re hoping for a state championship. It’s something they’ve got to do by just playing their best matches.”
