ENGLEWOOD | Facing the same opponent in the span of nine days, the Regis Jesuit boys tennis team got even better results against Boulder Wednesday in the opening round of the inaugural Class 5A boys tennis team state championship tournament.
Coach Laura Jones’ Raiders defeated the Panthers 5-2 in a non-league dual on Sept. 19 and the teams got pair up again in the 16-team tournament, in which Regis Jesuit was seeded No. 3 and Boulder No. 14.
On their temporary home courts at the Colorado Athletic Club Inverness, the Raiders came through a challenging match with a 7-0 victory that included three matches that went to a third set tiebreaker to decide. Regis Jesuit advanced to the 5A quarterfinals and will play host to No. 6 Ralston Valley at 9 a.m. Saturday (weather permitting).
The two losses for Regis Jesuit in the regular season meeting with Boulder came at Nos. 1 and 2 singles, but the Raiders came through in those matches this time.
Freshman No. 1 singles player Clay Dickey lost in a tight three-setter to Boulder senior Daniel Benjamin in the first time and the three again went to the very end to decide the outcome. Benjamin won the tiebreaker 11-9 in the first meeting, while Dickey outlasted him 14-12 in the rematch.
Junior Agustin Azcui missed the regular season meeting as Boulder’s Ezra Doherty defeated his replacement, but Azcui prevailed over Doherty by the score of 7-5, 5-7, 10-4. Junior Brady Jenkins again topped Will Curl at No. 3 singles, this time by a score of 6-1, 6-4.
The other three-set match came at No. 4 doubles, where the Regis Jesuit team of senior Devin McCausland and freshman Adam Rydel — who won the regular season meeting 6-0, 6-3 — had a much tougher time with the Panthers’ Nick Watson and Hayden Cobb. McCausland and Rydel prevailed, however, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Another quality No. 1 doubles match took place between the teams as senior Liam McDonnell and sophomore KC Eckenhausen of Regis Jesuit — last season’s No. 3 doubles state champions — again managed to top Boulder’s Andre Parham and Chase Lewis by a score of 6-4, 6-4. The No. 3 doubles match between senior Joe Dorais and junior Tyler Ryan of Regis Jesuit and Boulder’s Bruno and Leo Damrauer went three sets in the regular season, but the Raiders took this meeting 6-3, 6-4.
Regis Jesuit’s No. 2 doubles team of senior Aidan Sobolevsky and sophomore Carl Siegel didn’t drop a single game in a 6-0, 6-0 win over Boulder’s Blake Curl and Henry Radoff.
The Raiders moved to 11-0 in dual matches and will go against 10-4 Ralston Valley, which dispatched No. 11 Mountain Vista 6-1. Regis Jesuit defeated Mountain Vista by the same score in Continental League play.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2022 CLASS 5A BOYS TENNIS TEAM STATE TOURNAMENT
First round: Regis Jesuit 7, Boulder 0
No. 1 singles — William Dickey (Regis Jesuit) def. Daniel Benjamin (Boulder), 7-6 (3), 3-6, 14-12; No. 2 singles — Agustin Azcui (Regis Jesuit) def. Ezra Doherty (Boulder), 7-5, 5-7, 10-4; No. 3 singles — Brady Jenkins (Regis Jesuit) def. Will Curl (Boulder), 6-1, 6-4; No. 1 doubles — KC Eckenhausen/Liam McDonnell (Regis Jesuit) def. Andre Parham/Chase Lewis (Boulder), 6-4, 6-4; No. 2 doubles — Aidan Sobolevsky/Carl Siegel (Regis Jesuit) def. Blake Curl/Henry Radoff (Boulder), 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 doubles — Joe Dorais/Tyler Ryan (Regis Jesuit) def. Leo Damrauer/Bruno Damrauer (Boulder), 6-3, 6-4; No. 4 doubles — Devin McCausland/Adam Rydel (Regis Jesuit) def. Nick Watson/Hayden Cobb (Boulder), 6-3, 3-6, 6-2