The top players headline the All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette teams

Kevin Praphan made the state tournament in each of his three years at Fort Smith Northside, but he wanted his senior year to be even more special.

“I worked my rear end off,” Praphan said. “I worked every single day. In the warm summer heat I started working. I was determined to finish the rest of the year very well. I feel good about the progress I’ve made. It’s been a huge improvement.”

Praphan, a senior, finished third in the 6A-West conference tournament, beating Rin Ahlert of Fort Smith Southside and Thompson Maner of Fayetteville. His outstanding season earned him the All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette Boys Singles Player of the Year.

Praphan, who has been playing tennis since she was 4, finished fourth in the Class 6A state tournament.

He credited Martin Hyatt, who also teaches psychology at Northside, for adding a key element to his game during his senior season.

“He’s our psychology teacher, so he’s really helped with the mental side,” Praphan said. “Any sport is more mental than physical. He reminded me, reminded me and really reminded me to keep my head up. It really paid off.”

Praphan will continue his academic and tennis career at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, where he will play under coach Ben Anderson.

“He knows how determined I am,” Praphan said. “He likes the potential I have.”

Praphan was named Class 6A all-state.

BOYS’ FOUR FIELD TEAM OF THE YEAR

Robinson Wright and Graysen Conley

Fort Smith Southside

Robinson Wright had already had a stellar career in the first three years of college tennis as a singles player, but he decided to join forces with his junior tennis partner during their senior year.

It was a good decision.

“We decided to combine and make a Southside power team,” Graysen Conley said. “My senior year was the most fun I’ve had playing and the longest I’ve gone.”

In the 6A-West conference tournament, they easily defeated the Fort Smith Northside doubles team 6-0 and 6-1 and the Springdale Har-Ber doubles team 6-1 and 6-2 to advance to the state tournament. where they defeated the Jonesboro doubles team 6-4, 6-4 to finish third.

“It was my first year playing doubles,” Wright said. “It was my senior season, and I’m more relaxed in doubles than I am in singles. Singles stress me out a lot more. He’s my best friend, so I thought I might as well drag him along and see how it goes. It ended up being good.”

They had played singles together in their youth, playing 12 and under competitively and winning most of their matches.

Moving on to middle school, Conley decided to play football at Ramsey Junior High for a year and ran track.

“I went from Cook Elementary to Ramsey and decided to join the football team,” Conley said. “I had been playing tennis since I was 5 years old, and I just took a break from it for 8 or 9 months. I slowly came back. I still played tennis in my spare time.”

At Southside, Conley began playing competitively again and played varsity as a ninth grader, as did Wright, and both played singles.

“I realized how much I loved and missed tennis,” Conley said. “I started working out more. During high school, it’s really grown.”

When the duo got together, the chemistry was still there from when they played together in their youth.

“We hadn’t played a double in five years after he stopped for a while,” Wright said. “We got the communication part down pretty quickly. Movement and other things on the field took a little time, but we figured it out by the end of the season and started rolling.”

Wright earned a scholarship and plays tennis at Hendrix College. Conley attended the University of Arkansas to major in business law before graduating from Tulane University.

Conley and Wright were named Class 6A All-State.

GIRLS SINGLES PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Cate Cole

Fort Smith Southside

Tennis was just one of the many sports that Cate Cole played growing up and even through middle school.

He played football and basketball, but chose tennis as a sport.

“I just liked the individual aspect of it,” Cole said. “You’re part of the team, but it’s all you when you play.”

Cole reached the state tournament in three years as a varsity player and reached the semifinals of the Class 6A state tournament in all three years.

“My sophomore year, it was overwhelming to be in the semifinals,” Cole said. “My senior year, that was my last and last match. I had a really good match. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed last year.”

Cole didn’t start playing tennis until seventh grade.

“I loved it,” Cole said. “Then I decided to take it seriously. I played at Tulsa Academy and lived with a host family. I loved the education. It was a super experience.”

Cole has not decided whether or not he will play tennis in college.

“I’ve been taking a break since the season,” Cole said. “I haven’t decided if I want to play in college.”

Cole was named Class 6A all-state.

GIRLS OF THE YEAR team

Aileen Gonzalez/Kendall Besse

About the neighbors

When Aileen Gonzalez and Kendall Besse were paired in singles, it was kind of a fluke.

“I had a partner that I was hitting with and I was accidentally put in training with him,” Gonzalez said. “I really liked it. I thought we had good chemistry. Coach told us who we should play with; he was unexpected when I picked him. It was a good choice.”

Gonzalez and Besse won their first two matches in the 5A-West conference tournament and advanced to the Class 5A state tournament.

“It was really exciting,” Besse said. “I didn’t expect that. I expected to do somewhat decent at conference, but I didn’t expect to go to state.”

The duo finished fourth in the conference and then lost in the first round of the state tournament.

“It was really cool,” Besse said. “It was a big deal for both of us going to state, and my first year going to state.”

Besse didn’t start playing tennis until seventh grade, mostly at the behest of Van Buren tennis coach Brandy Mosby, who is Besse’s aunt.

“He’s been following me my whole life to play,” Besse said. “I started in seventh grade. I thought it would be fun to try, and I fell in love with it. I loved it immediately. I thought it was fun, and I enjoyed being a part of a sport that I love.”

This season will be the last they play together, and both will likely move to singles next year.

“We probably won’t be singles next year,” Gonzalez said. “We’re going to be singles. Most of our seniors have graduated who played singles. It was a good year.”

Kendall Besse (left) and Aileen Gonzalez of Van Buren, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, are on the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette girls’ doubles team. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Cate Cole of Fort Smith Southside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, is the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette girls singles player of the year. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Cate Cole of Fort Smith Southside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, is the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette girls singles player of the year. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Kevin Praphan of Fort Smith Northside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, is the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette boys singles selection. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Kevin Praphan of Fort Smith Northside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, is the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette boys singles selection. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Robinson Wright (left) and Grayson Conley of Fort Smith Southside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, are on the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette boys’ doubles team. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Robinson Wright (left) and Grayson Conley of Fort Smith Southside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, are on the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette boys’ doubles team. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Kendall Besse (right) and Aileen Gonzalez of Van Buren, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, are on the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette girls’ doubles team. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Robinson Wright (left) and Grayson Conley of Fort Smith Southside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, are on the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette boys’ doubles team. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Cate Cole of Fort Smith Southside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, is the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette girls singles player of the year. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Kevin Praphan of Fort Smith Northside, seen Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, is the 2022 All-River Valley Democrat-Gazette boys singles selection. Today’s photo gallery is at nwaonline.com/photo. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)