Franklin Regional girls tennis keeps rolling under new coach

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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There is a new face at the helm of the Franklin Regional girls tennis program.

Kevin Fisher, son of former coach Howard Fisher, has taken over for his dad who served as the boys and girls coach at the school for 43 years.

Kevin Fisher served as junior varsity coach for 13 years. He became the boys coach this past spring.

“He coached for a long-time,” Kevin Fisher said. “He taught me pretty much everything, as far as coaching, how to handle the girls, how to keep your head straight during matches, and then just being able to handle the crowd and fans.

“He also taught me how to be a great coach, how to realize how to coach a girl out of a bad situation or pump them up in a good situation all around. I just learned how much the tennis game is actually used throughout your life, not just on the tennis court, but in your day-to-day activities, being a good guy or leading people in other situations.”

Kevin Fisher didn’t get a chance to play for his dad since he attended Penn-Trafford, but he played against his team, and it became a rivalry.

“My dad knew my weakness and he coached his players to exploit them,” Kevin Fisher said. “It forced me to work harder on the court to win. He was teaching me to become a better player.”

Kevin Fisher inherited a solid girls team, and the Panthers are off to a good start. The Panthers are 7-1 overall and 6-0 in Section 1.

Franklin Regional edged Penn-Trafford, 3-2, in a first-place battle Sept. 10.

Victories against Armstrong and Norwin would help the squad capture their third consecutive title and 16^th in school history.

“That’s what we’re hoping for,” Kevin Fisher said. “The key to this team’s success is just to keep a cool head. I mean, honestly, the girls know their game. We are a seasoned team.

“We have a lot of seniors on the squad. The biggest thing is being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel whenever they’re in those tough matches, like we had against Penn-Trafford. Then I know these girls will be able to win.”

Leading the way is WPIAL qualifier Michelle Yan. The junior captain lost to Penn-Trafford junior Mia Williams in the section finals last Thursday.

“Michelle has been putting work in on the court since she was 4 years old,” Fisher said. “She had two older siblings that came through the program and both were top players. She works hard in the offseason.”

Yan also is on the track team.

“On the court, she knows how to grind,” Fisher said. “I’m really excited to watch her compete.”

The No. 2 singles player is senior Makinzie Marcus, who lost in the section quarterfinals, and the third singles player is senior captain Lucy Zheng.

Seniors Rachel Poltinnikov and Katelynn Patts make up one doubles squad while junior Anika Jadia and sophomore Sophia Palambo are on the other doubles team.

The other varsity players include seniors Ghania Maik and Katie Trautman, juniors Anna Beadle and Sara Pechersky, and sophomore Tanisha Narayani.

“My goal for this squad is to make it through the second round of the WPIAL playoffs,” Fisher said. “We have a good team and we have a deep team.

“The girls have been tested. Our hardest matches are at the end of the season and we’re ready for them. Now were ready to see what we can do versus other playoff teams.”

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional