CENTENNIAL | As a tone-setter for the 2015 season, Friday’s Eaglecrest Invitational couldn’t have served as a more resounding statement for the Grandview boys tennis team.
Coach Jeff Ryan’s Wolves — who the experience and depth that has bred a lot of optimism for the new season — dominated the seven-team season-opening tournament at Eaglecrest by winning the championships at all three singles positions and all four doubles spots.
Grandview players didn’t drop a single set for the entire tournament as it finished with 49 points, more than double Rangeview, which grabbed the runner-up spot to give Aurora a sweep of the top two places. Host Eaglecrest had one finalist and tallied 18 points for claim fourth, two points behind third-place Bear Creek.
The championship dominoes began to fall for the Wolves at No. 2 singles when junior Nate Hillier knocked off Eaglecrest’s Cooper Tedstrom 6-3, 6-2 in the only all-Aurora matchup of the finals round. Both players appeared to enjoy the match and Hillier came away pleased to prevail, especially after failing to close out a 5-0 lead in the second set before finally closing the door after Tedstrom took two games.
Sophomore Illijah Bailey, who begins his second season as Grandview’s No. 1 player, then won a battle with Bear Creek’s Alec Wieland, as he prevailed 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.
Some early displays for frustration threw Bailey off in the first set, but he managed to compose himself when it mattered most and he captured the set’s tiebreaker by a 7-3 count. Wieland’s left leg cramped up on several occasions in the second set and he had to take an extended water break, but Bailey bore down once play resumed to close out the victory.
Senior Ben Warren broke a string on his racquet in his opening match at No. 3 singles and had to switch to a backup that he’d never used before, which caused him a bit of trouble at first, but he ultimately began to roll. Warren finished Grandview’s singles sweep with a tidy 6-2, 6-2 win over Bear Creek’s Logan Wieland.
The Wolves’ No. 1 doubles teams of Rohan Suri and Adhithya Basker blanked opponents Eric and Tom Cruz of Bear Creek in the title match, winning 6-0, 6-0, while the No. 2 team of Chris Burris and Matt Yan nearly followed suit against Denver South’s Dorian Ferrer and Aung Oo, but allowed the Rebels to win a game.
Josh So and Michael Troutman at No. 3 doubles and Ethan Richardson and Joe Stanton at No. 4 doubles made sure the Wolves would walk away with a complete sweep of the championship round.
The top results for coach Zeb Carabello’s Rangeview team came in the third-place finishes of No. 1 singles player Matthew Chedid and the No. 3 doubles team of Mickey Negussie and Tariq Al-Jarah and the No. 4 duo of Tim Chang and Jorion Marshall.
Chedid rebounded from a loss to Bear Creek’s Alec Wieland in the semifinals to claim third place with a 6-4, 6-3 outlasting of Eaglecrest’s Andy Hansman.
Coach Alex Moore’s Eaglecrest team had the most success in singles play, as Tedstrom finished second at No. 2 singles, Christian Sunblade won the third-place match at No. 3 singles and Hansman placed fourth at No. 1 singles.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
EAGLECREST INVITATIONAL BOYS TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Aug. 21 at Eaglecrest High School
Team scores: 1. GRANDVIEW 49, 2. RANGEVIEW 24, 3. Bear Creek 20, 4. EAGLECREST 18, 5. Northglenn 14, 6. Denver South 12, 7. Douglas County 12
Championship matches
No. 1 singles — ILLIJAH BAILEY (GRANDVIEW) def. Alec Wieland (Bear Creek), 7-6 (3), 6-1; No. 2 singles — NATE HILLIER (GRANDVIEW) def. COOPER TEDSTROM (EAGLECREST), 6-3, 6-2; No. 3 singles — BEN WARREN (GRANDVIEW) def. Logan Wieland (Bear Creek), 6-2; 6-2; No. 1 doubles — ROHAN SURI/ADHITHYA BASKER (GRANDVIEW) def. Eric Cruz/Tom Cruz (Bear Creek), 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 doubles — CHRIS BURRIS/MATT YAN (GRANDVIEW) def. Dorian Ferrer/Aung Oo (Denver South), 6-0, 6-1; No. 3 doubles — JOSH SO/MICHAEL TROUTMAN (GRANDVIEW) def. Ryan Toomey/Jared Andreatta (Bear Creek), 6-2, 6-3; No. 4 doubles — ETHAN RICHARDSON/JOE STANTON (GRANDVIEW) def. Will Land/Dat Nguyen (Bear Creek), 6-3, 6-0
Third-place matches
No. 1 singles — MATTHEW CHEDID (RANGEVIEW) def. ANDY HANSMAN (EAGLECREST), 6-4, 6-3; No. 2 singles — Nick Lyon (Denver South) def. Chris Stroebel (Northglenn), 6-0, 6-2; No. 3 singles — CHRISTIAN SUNBLADE (EAGLECREST) def. Luke Bauer (Douglas County), 6-1, 6-1; No. 1 doubles — Joey Maestas/Shuhb Saxena (Douglas County) def. JESSE SANTANA/RAY GREEN (RANGEVIEW); No. 2 doubles — Dylan McChesney/Dustin Kerr (Northglenn) def. ELVIS AHN/JACOB STOCKINGER (RANGEVIEW), 7-6 (5), 6-0; No. 3 doubles — MICKEY NEGUSSIE/TARIQ AL-JARAH (RANGEVIEW) def. Jack Zeidlik/Diego Rodriguez (Northglenn); No. 4 doubles — TIM CHANG/JORION MARSHALL (RANGEVIEW) def. Luke Meyer/Julian Ferrer (Denver South), 6-1, 6-1
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel