In May 2021, a group of concerned citizens gathered to help save an institution of Morristown: FrankLorino Park tennis courts.

This group, consisting of high school players, coaches, parents, and others, organized to raise money and efforts to restore the tennis courts at the park.

Cracks had begun to rip the courts apart and visible damage made the park undesirable for competitive tennis.

Meanwhile, at the same time, the sport of tennis saw tremendous growth as many individuals picked up the game during the pandemic, especially junior players in the community. With growing participation in tennis and deteriorating courts, this group lobbied local officials and worked closely with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to grow the game in the Lakeway area.

The results led to the restoration of the Lakeway Tennis and Pickleball Association as well as the tennis courts at Frank Lorino Park.

Both Morristown East and West will begin their first season on the newly renovated courts this week. For the Hurricanes, it will be a season of growth and opportunity. The Hurricanes finished third in the district last year with a close loss to Sevier County that easily could have gone the other way. On the boys side, the team is led by a solid group of juniors that have played together since elementary school. Andrew Hall and Parker Spoone lead the team at the top of the lineup. Hall and Spoone played tremendous doubles in district play last season which earned them the #1 seed in the district tournament. Behind the duo of Hall and Spoone, is Rhyder Short and Jay Harrison. Short looks to move up the lineup from last season at No. 6 position while Harrison, noted two sport athlete, will contribute too. The rest of the lineup is filled with Seniors Adam Turner and Diego Garcia. Sophomores Ayden Stuffel and Samuel Chance will add additional experience as they begin their second season of their young tennis career.

The Lady Hurricanes bring to the court a young and athletic team. Senior Polly Jett will lead the girls squad at the top of the lineup. Jett, a four year veteran and starter, climbed from No. 6 to No. 1 as her time as a Lady Hurricane. Alongside Jett is Jocelyn Betancourt: another senior looking to make the most of her final season.

Lindsee Thornton looks to add to her game as she begins her sophomore season as well as junior Molley Bowman. The Lady Hurricanes, too, bring a diverse group of athletes represented in numerous East High sports. While these players are still learning the game, their athleticism will be a tremendous asset to the development of the team. Finley Surber, who committed to play volleyball at Walters State, brings her talents to the squad. Joining her from the volleyball team is Lakin Burnside who is beginning her first season playing tennis.

Andjrea-Kyle Taylor, former Lady Hurricane basketball player, looks to add a meaningful impact to the team’s performance. The Lady Hurricanes also added four new freshmen who first picked up a racquet through middle school tennis and look to grow their game at the high school level. Emory Galbreath, Kaley Gaby, Alexis Tompkins, and Maritza Vasquez-Hernandez all will play their first high school matches this spring. Lastly, Emily Gutierrez-Zapote starts her second season as a Lady Hurricane.

Both teams are coached by Parker Ashford. Ashford begins his second season as the head coach of the program. Joining Ashford this year is Andy Hall. Hall, former Hurricane and Walters State standout, adds veteran experience as a coach. Both Hurricanes and Lady Hurricanes begin their season Monday, March 13th against Volunteer. All matches begin at 4:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.