DENVER | As much success as Regis Jesuit has had in recent years at the Class 5A boys state tennis tournament, the Raiders are still looking for their first state champion since 2010.
The No. 3 doubles team of sophomore Steven Bummer and junior Truett Davis could end the drought on Saturday when they face off against Cherry Creek’s Teller Hoskins and Ben Schlichting in the state final at 9 a.m. at Gates Tennis Center.
Bummer and Davis — who downed Fairview’s Roger Nichols and Devin Harper 6-1, 6-4 in Friday’s semifinals — could become the first Regis Jesuit state champions since 2010, when the Raiders won two singles and two doubles crowns and took the team title to boot.
This season, coach Laura Jones’ team is shooting for a top four finish and has a good chance to meet that goal as they sit in fourth through two days of the tournament with 20 points. Fossil Ridge is just three points behind, however, and the two teams meet in the third-place match in both No. 2 and No. 4 doubles.
Regis Jesuit’s Joey Robertson and Tommy Koszowski face Fossil Ridge’s Kevin Schultz and Trevor Swambom in the No. 2 doubles third-place match, while the Raiders’ No. 4 duo of Alec Jotte and Luca Abbott go against Jon Anderson and Benji Walts for third. Both Regis Jesuit teams lost to Cherry Creek opponents in the semifinals and worked their way through the playback backet.
The Regis Jesuit No. 1 doubles team of seniors Nate Root and Timmy D’Costa had their intense match with Fossil Ridge’s Gabe Pagat and Griffin Kosonocky suspended because of rain late Thursday and it resumed Friday.
The teams had split sets and were tied at 5-5, but the Raiders took a 6-5 edge and threatened to close it out. The SaberCats rallied to force a tiebreak, then came back from a deficit to get past Regis Jesuit for a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory.
A short time later, Pagat and Kosonocky lost in straight sets to Fairview, ending the playback hopes of Root and D’Costa.
Cherokee Trail got two playback matches after suffering first round losses, as the No. 1 duo of junior Vik Sheverda and senior Ryan Richardson and the No. 3 team of sophomores Cameron Bergan and David Lai each got on the court again.
Sheverda and Richardson fell to a team from Chatfield 6-3, 6-4, while Bergan and Lai were stopped by Mountain Vista 6-3, 7-5.
Still, the Cougars registered their first-ever point on the scoreboard at state, thanks to freshman Dylan Zumar’s first round victory over Lakewood’s Brian Yoshida on Thursday.
Zumar lost to Arapahoe’s Nicholas Farmen in the quarterfinals and lost his chance for a playback when Farmen lost to Fairview’s Ignatius Castellino in the semifinals.
2013 CLASS 5A BOYS STATE TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Oct. 11 at Gates Tennis Center, Denver
Team scores (through semifinals): 1. Cherry Creek 77 points; 2. Fairview 69; 3. Mountain Vista 46; 4. REGIS JESUIT 20; 5. Fossil Ridge 17; 6. Chatfield 16; 7. Grand Junction 13; T8. Denver East 8; T8. Monarch 8; 10. Arapahoe 5; 11. Legacy 3; T12. Boulder 2; T12. Fruita Monument 2; T12. Ralston Valley 2; T15. CHEROKEE TRAIL 1; T15. Castle View 1; T15. Chaparral 1; T15. Columbine 1; T15. Rock Canyon 1
Aurora championship matches (Oct. 12, 9 a.m.)
No. 3 doubles: Steven Bummer/Truett Davis (Regis Jesuit) vs. Teller Hoskins/Ben Schlichting (Cherry Creek)
Aurora third-place matches
No. 2 doubles: Joey Robertson/Tommy Koszowski (Regis Jesuit) vs. Kevin Schultz/Trevor Swambom (Fossil Ridge)
No. 4 doubles: Alec Jotte/Luca Abbott (Regis Jesuit) vs. Jon Anderson/Benji Walts (Fossil Ridge)
