Logan Morren’s first year of high school tennis in 2021 offered him a first look at how tough the competition could be.
Despite winning the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year for claiming the No. 1 singles title at the league tournament, Morren finished fourth at the Class 6A regional and went 1-2 at the state tournament.
Upon arriving this spring, Morren had set some higher standards for his junior campaign and he more than met those goals by first repeating as WAC Player of the Year. He also guided his team to another team title at the WAC, but the proof in the pudding came in mid-May when he won the 6A regional tournament and then posted a 3-2 record at the state meet, earning an 11th place medal.
The medal earned by Morren, who finished his season with a 32-8 record, was the school’s first in boys singles since 2006.
“It’s been a journey because I knew I needed to improve after last year,” said Morren, who says he still has areas in which to improve. “I’ve improved, my backhand has gotten a lot better and I’ve taken lots of practice with the team and coach (Logan Bevis).”
In the past year, Morren saw his physical stature change by growing nearly six inches, from 5-06 to 6-00 in a 12-month span.
“The next area is getting on the weights and getting stronger,” Morren said. “My height has helped me with different shots. I can take better angles hitting over the net. I’ve improved in studying my opponents and figuring out different strategies. You can’t always just go to the same place shot after shot.”
After winning WAC the first week of May, Morren set his sights on the regional and then state.
“Every tournament I have set a goal of doing better than I did a year ago,” Morren said. “Last year, I won one match at state (this year three).”
Morren is excited about the Buffs’ prospects for 2023 as they will be seeking their fifth straight WAC title (2018-19-21-22). Their run was interrupted by the COVID-19 2020 season being cancelled.
“I didn’t get my freshman year, so there’s always that feeling of playing catch up with other players,” Morren said.
The GCHS junior said a meet earlier in the season against a top player from Hutchinson-Trinity helped his confidence level.
“I lost to him a year ago and this time I beat him in a tie-breaker, so that was a big win for me,” Morren said.
Improvement for 2023 will come with his service and play at the net, Morren indicated.
“My second serve was pretty weak,” Morren admitted. “I was getting scared of missing and I’d just tap it over to be safe. That doesn’t work against good players. My racket speed is faster and I’ve gotten better at controlling the point.”
With an improved overall game, Morren said he could begin fine-tuning aspects of it by working better angles across the net.
“I used to just hit it straight to the opponent, but now I’m hitting it sharper and making them move over the court,” he said.
Along with the physical improvement, Morren said the mental approach to the game also has improved.
“Coaches have helped me out with that,” he said. “I’ve learned that being down 1-4 you can change the way you play and come back to win (he did that once after being down and then winning seven consecutive games).”
Bevis said Morren’s improvement from his sophomore year was extraordinary considering he missed his freshman season due to the pandemic.
“We play a tough schedule that takes us all over the state, and Logan has been consistent throughout the entire season,” Bevis said. “His focus throughout tournaments has been impressive.”
The level of playing No. 1 opponents is also not lost on Morren’s coach.
“I can confidently say that he has not lost a match all year against a player he was better than,” Bevis said. “He took a whole step this year from last year. Last year he struggled to take control of points against pretty much any opponents; now, he has added a more aggressive element to his game. He consistently hits impressive angles off the forehand side and has learned how to methodically take control of a point and wear an opponent down.”
Bevis, concluding his second year at the Buffs’ helm, is now 2-0 with WAC titles for the boys and was voted Coach of the Year.
2022 All-WAC Boys Tennis First Team
| Singles | Player | School | Record |
| No. 1 | Logan Morren | Garden City | 4-0 |
| No. 2 | Josh Negron | Garden City | 4-0 |
| Doubles | |||
| No. 1 | Hayden Carrillo/Oscar Alvarado Martinez | Dodge City | 4-0 |
| No. 2 | Ignacio Bellido/Aldo Guerra | Dodge City | 3-1 |
Team Champion: Garden City
Player of the Year: Logan Morren, Garden City
Coach of the Year: Logan Bevis, Garden City
