Southard, West depart Notre Dame tennis as Semoball Awards co-winners

Charlie West, left, and Thomas Southard, right, of Notre Dame accept the Boys Tennis Athlete of the Year award from keynote speaker Brian Jordan at the Semoball Awards, presented by Mercy, on July 12, 2024.

Bailey Bagot ~ Silver Landing Photography

For Charlie West, it’s a three-peat. For Thomas Southard, it’s the perfect way to end a long, productive career at Notre Dame Regional High School.

The top doubles pairing in Southeast Missouri got their seasons put out for all to see on July 12 as the pairing of Southard-West was tabbed as the top boys tennis performance at the 2024 Semoball Awards.

Now, as the two move on from the Notre Dame boys tennis program, they leave behind a legacy of excellence for a highly talented Bulldog team that’s emerged at the summit of local sports.

“It's really special,” West said. “Especially this last time with Thomas, it really means a lot. It was just great to have such a good season.”

The doubles pairing of seniors advanced to the state playoffs, defeating a pairing from Rolla in the sectionals before dropping a quarterfinal matchup against a pairing from De Smet Jesuit.

Mercy is the presenting sponsor of the Semoball Awards, the area’s premier awards show recognizing student-athletes and coaches in Southeast Missouri.

But their success as part of the Bulldog squad helped the Notre Dame tennis team advance to the quarterfinals in state tournament play, a very tough thing to do among a highly talented field.

With plenty of talent up and down the program, West and Southard represent a pairing of leaders who continued to push the bar for the program.

Those two helped Notre Dame not just on the courts, but off, with young talents like Michael Bogdanovich rising to stardom under the seeing eye of the two talented seniors.

Now, as they part with the program, it’s a time of reflection as the 2024 Semoball Boys Tennis Players of the Year move on from their time as Bulldogs and into their next steps in life.

“It meant a lot to be a Notre Dame Bulldog,” Southard said. “Our team was very good this year. Losing in the quarterfinals, but it meant a lot to make it that far.”

West, a dark horse candidate for the Male Athlete of the Year Award, grabbed his third Semoball Award in as many years, winning in the boys tennis category three years in a row – twice in years past as a single, once as a double.

So now, with great performances in swimming, wrestling and tennis, West says goodbye to an illustrious Notre Dame career that saw him rise to the forefront of local sports.

Before he moves on to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, West spoke once more about his time in the Bulldog uniform.

“I’ve always really enjoyed going all in into whatever sport is in season, and I've just always enjoyed the sports I've played,” West said.

“All the teammates, coaches and family that have been supportive along the way, it's just been a great experience.”