north pontotoc VikingS tenniS

NORTH PONTOTOC

2022 VikingS tenniS

2022 north pontotoc VikingS tenniS team

This year’s North Pontotoc tennis team includes (front row, left to right) Jennifer Watson, Jada Price, Nevaeh Dedeaux, Makenna Cooper, Marissa Dedeaux, Lena Dedeaux, (back row) Adrian Vega, Jacob Tidwell, Braydon Brown, Mason Beaman, Jarrod Coleman, Daniel Crotwell, Cole Montgomery, Christian Najera, Coach Jeremy Lytal. Not Pictured (FBLA Competition): Hope Nanney, Will Nanney, Jalil Jimenez, Kacey Jimenez, Alivia Warren.

Photo by Galen Holley

VIKINGS WILL COMPETE WITH YOUNG SQUAD

Jonathan Wise

Sports Writer

Boasting a lot of veterans, North put a very solid tennis club on the courts last season. This season will look different after a lot of key departures, but head coach Jeremy Lytal is looking forward to seeing his young group compete and have fun.

“We graduated 9 starters off that team, so to say we are young and inexperienced this year would be a massive understatement,” Lytal said. “We do bring back some young players who gained some valuable experience playing varsity when they could. That will be key in trying to get some wins this season.”

On the boys side, some of the top players look to be Jalil Jimenez, Jacob Tidwell, and Adrian Vega.

“They all bring different things to the table,” coach Lytal said. “Jalil is a finesse player; he is the player on the boys side that has grown the most. Jacob is someone who will try to just outlast you, and Adrian is athletic and gets to a lot of balls.”

There are a number of others competing for key roles.

“Christian Najera has worked to improve his game and has done so from last year,” Lytal said. “A couple more boys that are young and getting better are Brayden Brown and Jacob Tidwell. They will be looked on pretty heavily to be successful this year. I also have a few new players that have come on quickly. Mason Beaman and Jarrod Coleman are picking up on things very quickly, and they could end up being used a lot this season.”

Lytal expects Navaeh Hopkins to be strong on the girls side.

“Navaeh has improved a lot and is very competitive,” he said. “She wants to be good, and she has a lot of fun when she is out there. I really look forward to seeing how she progresses this season.”

Jennifer Watson will also be a key contributor.

“Jennifer is a very good player that works a lot with her dad, who played tennis at Shannon, and she has probably improved more than anyone on the girls side, if not on the entire team,” coach Lytal said. “She will be someone I rely on all season.”

Marissa Dedeaux is another important returning starter who Lytal said has continued to improve.

“I don’t have a lot of newcomers (on the girls side), but a few of the players from last season like Hope Nanney and Makenna Cooper will be looked upon to step up and take a prominent role this season to help us out,” Lytal said.

“We play in the toughest tennis region in the state (Region 2-4A). New Albany is obviously in a league of their own, but Pontotoc and South Pontotoc would probably win any other region in the North. It is extremely tough to compete with even an experienced team like last year. So this season is all about getting better every match, win or lose, and learning to love the game. I look forward to seeing how we do and how much we can improve.”

2022 north pontotoc VikingS tenniS Schedule

MARCH 17 Ripley MARCH 21 Houston

MARCH 24 Kossuth @ Corinth CP

MARCH 29

New Albany @ BNA Park

MARCH 30

Division Tournament @ Pontotoc

APRIL 25-27 State Tournament @ Oxford