Things trending up for young tennis team
At first glance the deck may be appear to be stacked against the Liberty tennis team this season. With a new league configuration, the Patriots often match up against tough 4A competition. The team’s best two players are just sophomores.
But look again and you’ll see that the 4A competition during the season will just make the Patriots better come post-season. The two top players may be sophomores, but both played extensively last season. So instead of a hindrance, their youth suddenly becomes an advantage.
No one embraces that positive outlook better than Liberty head coach Mike Salokas. “The future’s looking very bright for us.”
Out of 37 members this season, Salokas said 10 or 11 are freshmen and four of the Patriots’ varsity players are sophomores.
Thomas Lowes will again be the Patriots’ number one varsity player. Salokas tossed Lowes into the fire last season as a freshman by putting him at the number one spot.
“He had good skills, but he was short in stature,” Salokas said. “He was just run over out there. I was a little concerned. I was always checking with him and his parents to see if psychologically he was OK, being in matches where he’s going to lose.”
So far, Salokas’ plan has worked well. Lowes grew a few inches and now as a sophomore, he has priceless experience. “He took his lumps, now he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
Lowes won his first match against Kyle Beatty of Issaquah on Tuesday, 6-4, 6-1.
Liberty’s number two player Sho Kato, is also a sophomore. Kato and Lowes played as Liberty’s number one doubles team last season and will continue to do so this season.
“Sho’s game has come along tremendously,” Salokas said. “He’s also grown in stature. The future’s looking very bright for us.”
The Patriots’ other varsity players are a mix of seniors and sophomores. Sam Andres and Matt Weik are seniors and are both captains (Lowes is the third captain). Sophomores Ryan Maio and Chris Weik round out the rest of the varsity group.
Kato and Lowes both play tennis in the off-season. Salokas said playing year-round is “essential for being competitive in our league.”
As a 3A school, Liberty will play against a number of 4A teams in the KingCo Crest League East Division. Salokas said while the Patriots might lose some matches to the bigger schools, the stiffer competition will ultimately help the players improve.
A new league and schedule means more matches, and a longer season. KingCo teams will now play tennis into late-October, a concept that seems like a losing proposition in the often-rainy Northwest.
“We’re getting into very iffy territory regarding weather at that point in the year,” Salokas said. He suggests the 14-match-long season begin earlier than August 25. “It’s unrealistic to prepare for 14 matches starting August 25.”
Salokas said the expectations of the tennis program at Liberty make his job easier, but that doesn’t mean he’s content to simply maintain the status quo. “Liberty hasn’t been one of the elite, top-performing teams in the recent past,” he said. “There isn’t a reputation or a standard that I need to keep in the back of my mind because the expectation level for Liberty High tennis has not been a high one. I would love to be the person that would turn that around.”
Liberty went 1-7 and finished seventh in the KingCo last season. With all six varsity players returning from last season, including talented sophomores in Lowes and Kato, the Patriots can expect to improve greatly this season.
Early season update –
Issaquah 8-1 beat Liberty on Sept. 9. For singles, Lowes beat Beatty Manuel Brugger (Iss.) beat Kato, 6-1, 6-1, Evan Cheung (Iss.) beat Matt Weik, 6-1, 6-4, Alexander Patton (Iss.) beat Andres, 3-6, 6-4, 10-6, Kyle Bichich (Iss.) beat Chris Weik, 6-2, 6-1, Chisholm Hayden (Iss.) beat Maio, 6-2, 6-2. “We’re getting into very iffy territory regarding weather at that point in the year,” Salokas said. He suggests the 14-match-long season begin earlier than August 25. “It’s unrealistic to prepare for 14 matches starting August 25.”.
