Tigers end season with third place in district

For the second straight year, nobody on the Central boys tennis team will advance past the district tournament.

The Tigers were represented in the state competition during each of coach Bud Craven's first nine years but have fallen short the past couple attempts, the latest of which was Thursday in the Class 2 District 1 tournament at Central.

The Tigers finished third out of nine teams with 16 points behind Lindbergh and Rockwood Summit.

"I always have somebody go to state," Craven said, "and now two years running I've not had anybody going. We've got to do better than that."

Central's No. 1 singles player, Kevin Rohatgi, came the closest, finishing third in the 32-man singles tournament. Rohatgi drew a bye in the first round, then defeated Webster Groves' Jesse Kook 6-0, 6-0 and Lindbergh's Mike Haupt 6-3, 6-1 before losing to Rockwood Summit's Brad Allison 6-3, 6-0. Rohatgi won the third-place match, 6-3, 6-2.

Craven said one of the highlights for Central was No. 2 singles player Robert Weir advancing to the third round before falling to the eventual champion.

Weir beat Rockwood Summit's Anthony Clark 7-5, 6-3 and Poplar Bluff's Ben Nunnery 7-5, 6-3 before losing 6-1, 6-2 to Lindbergh's Kyle O'Leary, the eventual singles champion.

"I'm real happy with the way he came through," Craven said of Wier. "We had real strong play today."

The Tigers' No. 1 doubles team of Carson Kelley and David Deisher won its first-round game 6-4, 6-2 over Mehlville, then lost to Rockwood Summit 6-3, 6-2. Central's No. 2 doubles team of Josiah Johnson and Drew Kiel made a quick exit with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 first-round loss to Oakville.

Lindbergh won the doubles championship, and Rockwood Summit placed second.

"We started off with only one returning varsity player, so to wind up third in our district is a great accomplishment," Craven said. "They improved dramatically.

"I'm optimistic for the future."