Bishop Carroll boys tennis chasing history after a statement TOC sweep
Bishop Carroll boys tennis coach Darren Huslig had no way to watch the most satisfying Saturday of his season without missing part of it.
That was the problem — and the thrill.
On one court at Collegiate, Carroll sophomore Brandon Steven was locked into a championship match against the reigning Class 5A singles champion. On another court, senior Gabe Weber and sophomore Braeden Dugan were trying to protect their undefeated doubles season in a tiebreaker against one of the most decorated doubles teams in the state.
For Huslig, the final hour of the prestigious Tournament of Champions became a tennis coach’s dream and a logistical nightmare. His head was on a swivel, bouncing from one championship match to the other.
By the time it ended, Carroll had claimed both titles.
Steven beat Maize South senior Evan Goates, 8-5, in the singles final. Weber and Dugan outlasted Collegiate’s Charlie Gentile and Maddox Drumright in a tiebreaker, 8-7 (3), in a doubles final worthy of the stage.
And even though Collegiate edged Carroll for the team championship, 138-135, the message from this past Saturday was hard to miss: Carroll is ready to make a serious run at its first team state championship.
“Our ultimate goal is to do something at the state level, so it was super exciting to see where our kids are at,” Huslig said. “We’ve had some good teams, but we haven’t quite got it done on the boys’ side. We’re trying to chase that down. We’ve got some talented kids this year and things are looking good right now.”
Carroll has been close before under Huslig, who has coached tennis at the school for more than two decades and helped build the program into a regular Class 5A contender.
The Golden Eagles have finished second at state twice, in 2016 and 2025, and have taken third three other times, in 2006, 2007 and 2017. But the boys program is still chasing its first team state championship.
That is what made Saturday feel like more than another strong regular-season tournament.
Carroll won the two most important draws at one of the top regular-season tournaments in Kansas and it did it against opponents with state-title credentials.
Steven’s championship came through a difficult path. He beat Collegiate’s G Farha, 8-1, in the quarterfinals, then knocked off Collegiate’s Amir Khicha, 8-5, in the semifinals to earn another shot at Goates.
“When Brandon is dialed in like that, he’s tough for anybody with his talent level and then his competitiveness,” Huslig said. “That competitive spirit is what drives him the most.”
The Steven-Goates matchup has become one of the best individual rivalries in 5A boys tennis. Steven is now 18-2 this season with both losses coming to Goates, while Goates is 22-1 with his only loss coming to Steven.
They split postseason matches last year, too. Steven beat Goates for the regional championship, then Goates answered by beating Steven in the 5A state semifinals on his way to the state singles title.
Now another postseason collision could be coming. The two could meet again at the Class 5A regional hosted by Andover Central on May 8, then potentially again at the 5A state tournament the following weekend in Andover.
“It’s definitely nice to know that it can be done,” Huslig said of Steven beating Goates. “He knows he can do it, but he also knows it’s going to be a battle every time because Evan is such a tremendous player.”
Carroll’s doubles title was just as meaningful.
Weber and Dugan were already expected to be a force this season after placing fourth at the Class 5A state tournament last year. They were the highest-finishing doubles team in 5A to return both players and they have looked the part all spring.
The pair is now 20-0 after surviving its sternest test yet.
Weber and Dugan cruised into the final before running into Collegiate’s top team of Gentile, the defending Class 3-1A singles champion, and Drumright, one-half of the defending 3-1A doubles championship team.
For Huslig, that was exactly the kind of match he wanted to see before the postseason.
“You always wonder as a coach what is going to happen when there’s adversity or we’re behind a little bit and it’s not coming quite as easy,” Huslig said. “It was awesome to see our kids go, ‘OK, we’re meeting this challenge.’ That was a massive team they beat, so that was really nice to see.”
The improvement has been obvious. Weber and Dugan were already good enough last year to finish on the state podium. This season, Huslig said, both have sharpened their individual games enough to become even more dangerous together.
“The biggest thing about those two is how much each one improved individually,” Huslig said. “Their tennis level was already really good last year, but they both trained like crazy in the offseason and now it’s even higher. You put two kids together with that high level of tennis and it’s hard for anybody to get through that.”
Carroll’s depth also showed up in the team race. Senior Luke Ronsick placed 11th in singles, while the No. 2 doubles team of seniors Henry Husband and Brady Haight reached the semifinals and finished fourth.
The Golden Eagles still have to survive what Huslig considers the toughest regional in Class 5A. They still have to prove it again at state. They still have to turn a regular-season statement into a postseason breakthrough.
But for one Saturday afternoon, Carroll looked like a team capable of finally chasing down the one trophy still missing from its case.
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