Maize South tennis star Evan Goates eyes run at Class 5A title
When Evan Goates is on a tennis court, his mind serves as a computer processor.
He absorbs information from his opponent while playing in a match, processes it, then is usually able to make the adaptations required to find a solution.
It’s a big reason why the Maize South junior played for the Class 5A singles title last spring and why he hopes to win it this time around when the Kansas high school state tournament this weekend at the Salina Tennis Center. Goates (25-2), the No. 3 seed in the singles bracket, advanced to Saturday’s semifinals with two wins on Friday.
“Evan understands when he has the opportunity to play someone more than once, typically he’s going to perform his best that second time,” Maize South coach Frank Reyes said. “He’s very good at adapting to whatever he needs to do to win.”
The best example of that is examining Goates’ competitive rivalry with Blue Valley Southwest’s Sanjay Rajkumar, the reigning 5A singles champion who dispatched Goates in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, last spring to claim the title.
In the second meeting between the two, which came on April 8 in Arkansas City, Goates pushed Rajkumar to a tiebreaker and eventually lost. Given a second chance this season, Goates made a statement just 10 days later when he played perhaps the best match of his high school career in an 8-1 victory over Rajkumar — his only loss to 5A competition this season.
“It’s just kind of what I’m good at is adapting to different players and different playing styles,” Goates said. “I have a lot of different diverse styles that I can play. So once I figure out what style I need, I just adapt my game.”
Goates hopes the same can be true for another opponent in Bishop Carroll freshman Brandon Steven, who stunned Goates in last week’s regional final with a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory to hand the Maize South junior his first loss in more than a month.
It bumped Goates down to the No. 3 seed at the state tournament, but set up a rematch with Steven, the No. 2 seed, in the semifinals on Saturday morning. Goates dropped just two games on Friday with a pair of straight-set victories, including a 6-0, 6-1 win over Eisenhower’s Kyle King in the quarterfinals.
“I don’t really feel like that loss was much of a setback for me,” Goates said. “It’s just more motivation that I’ll be using. I’m going to go in there with a chip on my shoulder and knowing that I’m still beatable if I let my guard down.
“I know I have the potential to win it all still. I just have to play good, solid tennis. And if I can do that, then I think I have the potential to win state.”
Kansas high school boys tennis state results
Class 6A (Junction City)
Singles quarterfinals: Anish Poojari, so., BV West, def. Dalton Parde, fr., Mill Valley, 6-1, 6-1; Nolan Fosha, so., Olathe South def. Brody Feldman, so., SM East, 6-1, 6-1; Jonah Stolte, jr., BV West def. Hayden Herrera, sr., Maize, 7-6 (5), 6-0; Luke Pennington, sr., BV Northwest def. James Hoke, fr., Manhattan, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2.
Singles semifinals: No. 1 Anish Poojari, so., BV West (21-0) vs. No. 5 Nolan Fosha, so., Olathe South (32-4); No. 2 Luke Pennington, sr., BV Northwest (19-5) vs. No. 3 Jonah Stolte, jr., BV West (16-2).
Doubles quarterfinals: Aarya Anjankar, jr., Francisco Landeras, sr., BV West, def. Bryan Branstrom, jr., Aidan Messerly, jr., Olathe Northwest, 6-1, 6-3; Ryder Heaven, jr., Carson Mower, so., SM South def. Ishaan Musti, so., Ethan Kumar, sr., BV West, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7); Krrish Sanjanwala, sr., Srinivasa Vel, jr., BV Northwest def. Aiden Bush, so., Christian Clough, so., SM East, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; Jake Hanson, sr., Christopher Long, so., SM East def. Dylan Willingham, jr., Cale Deutscher, jr., Washburn Rural, 6-1, 6-3.
Doubles semifinals: No. 1 Aarya Anjankar, jr., Francisco Landeras, sr., BV West (14-0) vs. No. 5 Ryder Heaven, jr., Carson Mower, so., SM South (21-4); No. 2 Jake Hanson, sr., Christopher Long, so., SM East (20-2) vs. No. 6 Krrish Sanjanwala, sr., Srinivasa Vel, jr., BV Northwest (14-8).
Class 5A (Salina)
Singles quarterfinals: Sanjay Rajkumar, sr., BV Southwest, def. Lad Oborny, jr., Andover, 6-1, 6-2; Dawson O’Donnell, sr., Arkansas City, def. Elijah Donaldson, sr., St. James, 6-1, 6-0; Evan Goates, jr., Maize South, def. Kyle King, sr., Eisenhower, 6-0, 6-1; Brandon Steven, fr., Bishop Carroll, def. Henry Walker, so., Andover Central, 6-1, 6-2.
Singles semifinals: No. 1 Sanjay Rajkumar, sr., BV Southwest (25-5) vs. No. 4 Dawson O’Donnell, sr., Arkansas City (20-3); No. 2 Brandon Steven, fr., Bishop Carroll (24-1) vs. No. 3 Evan Goates, jr., Maize South (27-2).
Doubles quarterfinals: Andrew Chan, so., Isaac Homan, sr., Andover, def. Luke Niesen, so., Sam Niesen, sr., St. James, 6-2, 7-5; Gabe Weber, jr., Braeden Dugan, fr., Bishop Carroll, def. John Vogel, jr., Baird Greenamyre, jr., KC Piper, 6-3, 6-2; John Korfhage, jr., Trey Lacy, sr., Kapaun Mt. Carmel, def. Braxton Nicholson, jr., Gabriel Shaffer, jr., Valley Center, 6-2, 6-2; Jaxon Post, sr., Elias Kachelmeier, jr., Andover Central, def. John Rather, sr., Pierce Anderson, sr., Andover, 6-1, 6-2.
Doubles semifinals: No. 1 Andrew Chan, so., Isaac Homan, sr., Andover (32-3) vs. No. 4 Gabe Weber, jr., Braeden Dugan, fr., Bishop Carroll (22-6); No. 2 Jaxon Post, sr., Elias Kachelmeier, so., Andover Central (29-3) vs. No. 3 John Korfhage, jr., Trey Lacy, sr., Kapaun Mt. Carmel (22-5).
Class 4A (Winfield)
Singles quarterfinals: Davian Spies, sr., Buhler def. Copeland Quiett, jr., Winfield, 6-2, 6-1; Keith Sanders, sr., Independence, def. Janmejay Patwardhan, so., Hesston, 6-4, 6-3; Luca Marrello, so., Bishop Miege, def. Joshua Moore, jr., Winfield, 6-4, 6-0; Wyatt Shultz, jr., Parsons def. Maverick Peterson, jr., Wellington, 6-0, 6-0.
Singles semifinals: No. 1 Davian Spies, sr., Buhler (27-2) vs. No. 5 Keith Sanders, sr., Independence (22-10); No. 2 Wyatt Shultz, jr., Parsons (28-3) vs. No. 3 Luca Marrello, so., Bishop Miege (21-4).
Doubles quarterfinals: Asher Deutschendorf, sr., Braiden Liechty, jr., Hesston def. Matthew McLenon, jr., Zachary Scott, sr., Independence, 6-0, 6-3; Chase Blaser, sr., Evan George, sr., Topeka Hayden def. Bryson Archer, sr., Alexander Berger, sr., McPherson, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3; Von Woleslagel, sr., Reuben Harder, jr., Buhler def. Cole Kennett, jr., Conner Barcus, sr., Parsons, 6-3, 6-3; Jackson Davis, sr., Adam Everett, sr., Winfield def. Ethan Burnett, sr., Ayden Cummings, jr., 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles semifinals: No. 1 Asher Deutschendorf, sr., Braiden Liechty, jr., Hesston (27-3) vs. No. 4 Chase Blaser, sr., Evan George, sr., Topeka Hayden (25-6); No. 2 Jackson Davis, sr., Adam Everett, sr., Winfield (27-8) vs. No. 3 Von Woleslagel, sr., Reuben Harder, jr., Buhler (23-3).
Class 3-1A (Topeka)
Singles quarterfinals: Amir Khicha, fr., Wichita Collegiate def. Levi Mies, sr., Conway Springs, 6-0, 6-0; Isaac Yourdon, sr., Wichita Classical def. Jace Darnauer, so., Sterling, 7-6 (1), 6-2; Camden Stiles, so., Central Plains def. Noah Doom, sr., Wichita Classical, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2; Charlite Gentile, jr., Wichita Collegiate def. Alex Hobson, sr., Wichita Trinity, 6-3, 6-2.
Singles semifinals: No. 1 Amir Khicha, fr., Wichita Collegiate (19-1) vs. No. 5 Isaac Yourdon, sr., Wichita Classical (26-8); No. 2 Charlie Gentile, jr., Wichita Collegiate (13-3) vs. No. 3 Camden Stiles, so., Central Plains (26-1).
Doubles quarterfinals: Carter Drumright, sr., Maddox Drumright, so., Wichita Collegiate def. Ben Bierstedt, so., Zac Wohler, so., Sterling, 6-3, 6-0; Layne Whitney, sr., Isaac Winter, sr., Conway Springs def. Gabriel Baker, sr., Ezekiel Baker, sr., Smoky Valley, 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-1; Eric Buchenau, jr., Drew Fay, jr., Topeka Cair Paravel def. Paxton Dody, sr., Peyton Dody, jr., Central Plains, 6-2, 6-4; William Farha, fr., Vihaan Ganganala, fr., Wichita Collegiate def. Preston Sebits, sr., Blane Farley, jr., Wichita Trinity, 6-3, 6-0.
Doubles semifinals: No. 1 Carter Drumright, sr., Maddox Drumright, so., Wichita Collegiate (23-0) vs. No. 5 Layne Whitney, sr., Isaac Winter, sr., Conway Springs (24-6); No. 2 William Farha, fr., Vihaan Ganganala, fr., Wichita Collegiate (5-1) vs. No. 3 Eric Buchenau, jr., Drew Fay, jr., Topeka Cair Paravel (28-1).
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 6:02 AM.
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