Competition in Division I and II gets underway this Friday beginning with singles and doubles while the team format remains the same with 5A-I and II beginning on Monday.

The new format for singles calls for a massive 128-man bracket rather than qualifying for the classic 16-man bracket that has been used in the past.

Every coach who I have spoken to from Southern Arizona is not too happy with the subject, especially Catalina Foothills boys coach Robb Salant. Too many players, too much time and too many miles seems to be the main objections.

“You can quote me on this,” said Salant. “It’s the dumbest thing I have seen in my 50 years of tennis.”

AIA’s reasoning was supposed to be based on saving money but the new format has the potential of costing players and schools from outside Phoenix more money than before. On top of that, the tournament will be played while students are taking advanced placement tests.

“The AIA didn’t ask me for advice,” Salant added.

That’s a shame considering Salant has coached the last six state championships in a row, another in 1997 and one in 1989 at Rincon according to the AIA. Only one person from Southern Arizona is on the Boys Tennis Advisory Committee out of the ten spots available. (The Girls committee has five from Southern Arizona).

NOTES

Foothills and Sabino are currently ranked 1-2 in power points and Foothills should increase their lead after their 8-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon:

Singles: Wade Heerboth, CF, defeated James Soper, 6-2, 6-3; Daniel Rapcsak, CF, defeated Jackson Lee, 6-3, 6-0; Jason Keatseangsilp, CF, defeated Kyle Holmes, 6-2, 6-1; Brandon Anhalt, CF, defeated Adam Bukani, 6-2, 6-1; Dan Goldstein, CF, defeated Jake Chess, 6-1, 6-4; Andrew Good, CF, defeated Clayton Friedman, 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles: Soper/Lee, SAB, defeated Heerboth/Rapcsak, 8-4; Keatseasongsilp/Anhalt, CF, defeated Bukani/Chess, 8-0; Goldstein/Good, CF, defeated Moran/McDonald, 8-1.

 

FOOTHILLS/SABINO PHOTOS: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andymorales/sets/72157626363042413/

 

If you look closely at the girls singles matches for D-I you will see that cousins Courtney Amos and Lauren Amos have been entered in the event. The juniors have won the last two state doubles championships but their entrance in the singles event has ended their reign and the possibility of winning four doubles championships in a row.

On top of that, Courtney is the top seed and Lauren is the 4 seed meaning they will not have the ability to play each other in the championship match but might meet in a semifinal match.

“We are OK with it,” explained Courtney. “The decision was partly ours to play singles this year,” she added.

The possibility of playing against each other? “We’ve never played each other in state obviously but we have played each other during USTA matches. We make it work.”

“When the match is done then it’s done,” added Lauren.

The AIA has not filled out the rest of the brackets.

BOYS

D-I SINGLES

First Round; Friday, April 15
Indian School Park, Scottsdale

7:45 am
Miguel Tolano – Tucson vs. Dara Farhadi – M d. Niza
Ernesto Rojas -Desert View vs. Akash Pendyala – Hamilton
Neeko Gardner – Rincon vs. Christian Huesca – W. Can
Claudio Arballo – Desert View vs. Jimmy Lagerman – Dobson

9 am
#5 Matt Dunn – Salpointe BYE
Brandon Gerber – Salpointe BYE
Dakota Nixon – Sunnyside vs. Ismael Santos – Sunnyside

10 am
Raymond Menase – Sunnyside vs. Damon Mitchell – Mesquite
Beau Streety – Rincon vs. Cole North – Highland
Chris Young – Buena vs. Deval Gupta – Mtn. Ridge

D-I DOUBLES

First Round; Friday, April 15
Indian School Park, Scottsdale

2 pm
Mendivil/Meza – Sunnyside vs. Vasquez/Alvarado – North
Wang/Waters – Rincon vs. Thornburg/Hazen – Kofa
Fiero/CoronaDelRincon-Tucson BYE

3pm
#5 Dunn/Linscott -Salpointe BYE
Ruffo/Nabeeh – Buena vs. Sloekers/Drake – Ironwood

4pm
Valenzuela/Sanchez-Sunnyside vs. Gohel/Long – Gilbert
Guerrero/Jimenez – Desert View vs. Tapiceria/Ostler – Valley
Dufwinberg/Leon -Salpointe vs. Karlsrub/Roth – Mtn. Pointe
Philli/Driesen – Rincon vs. Cunningham/Hansen – Ironwood

5 pm
Jimenez/Garcia – Desert View vs. Talamantes/Ponce – Alhambra
Chon/Acosta – Buena vs. Shi/Verley – Horizon

D-II SINGLES

First Round; Friday, April 15
Paseo Racket Center, Glendale

10:30am
#1 Carlos Bermudez – Palo Verde BYE
Alex Hernandez – Cholla vs. Chris Bronee – Higley
Andrew Heyer – Flowing Wells vs. Chuun Man Luk – Sahuaro
Jose Escalante – Amphi vs. Jorge DeLacruz – McClintock
Griffin Thomure – CDO vs. Connor George – Thunderbird

11:15 am
Luis Luan Tarazon – Pueblo vs. Dan Rapcask – Cat Foothills
Eddie Valdez – Sahuarita vs. Garrett McLaren – Prescott
Brandon Koknieczny-Mountain View vs. Jayme Clark – Maricopa
David Soto – Nogales vs. Ty Adair – Apache Junction
Alex Bose – Ironwood Ridge BYE
Michael Choffin – Marana vs. Emil Gutierez -Poston Butte
#4 Wade Heerboth – Foothills BYE

Noon
Hugo Torres – Pueblo BYE
Dylan Vo – Ironwood Ridge vs. Ryne Jahnke – Williams Field
Carlos Medina – Amphi vs. Joshua Hedderig – C Shadows
Cody Martin -CDO vs. Austin Haworth – Buckeye
Joshua Montgomery-Cholla vs. Marcus Roberts – Sun Mtn.
Jason Sprouse -Palo Verde vs. Matt Dyer – Prescott
Brandon Doty – Sahuarita vs. Jayme Barbosa – Flagstaff
John Condit – Marana vs. Tyler Puckett – Flowing Wells
Carlos Mercado – Nogales BYE
Jordan Shaporo – Mountain View vs. Joe Ramirez – Maricopa
Drew Riggleman – Sahuaro BYE

D-II DOUBLES

First Round; Friday, April 15
Paseo Racket Center, Glendale

2:30 pm
TBA

GIRLS

D-I SINGLES

First Round; Friday, April 15
Gene Autry Tennis Center, Mesa

10:30am
#1 Courtney Amos – Salpointe BYE
Alyssa Yanez – Tucson vs. Cheyenne Wilson – Deer Valley
Gabriela Serrano – Desert View vs. Alex Miller – Mtn. Ridge
Jessica Leyva – Sunnyside BYE
Sadiya Buta – Desert View vs. Kaitlin Baker – Westwood
Samantha Lund – Rincon vs. D. Robertson -Marcos d Niza

11:15 am
Rebecca Rossman – Buena vs. Tay Jankheio -Mtn View-Mesa
#4 Lauren Amos – Salpointe BYE

Noon
Anik Regan – Rincon vs. Jenna Kirkman – Basha
Ema Hernandez -Sunnyside vs. Shannon Headley -Pinnacle
Nicole Harvey – Tucson vs. Betina Castillo – Skyline

D-I DOUBLES

First Round; Friday, April 15
Gene Autry Tennis Center, Mesa

3 pm
Polanco/Lugo – Sunnyside vs. Guel/Kahn – D. Vista
Beard/Whinery – Salpointe vs. Lopez/Alcala – Maryvale
Brown/Robles – Desert View vs. Rizzi-Wise/Washington-Hamilton

4 pm
Sun/Waters – Rincon vs. Tavira/Ciapara – C Chavez
Ramirez/Garay – Tucson vs. Lopez/Fonseca – Camelback
Banks/Kostur – Buena BYE

5pm
#3 McGeorge/Baxter – Salpointe BYE
Martinez/Figuero – Desert View vs. Villalvazo/Marentes – B Fair
Illanas/Lopez – Rincon vs. Gantier/Peterson – Hamilton
GonzalezPotter/Lopez – Tucson vs. Sheesley/Wang – Mesquite

6:30pm
Nazaroff/Salmon – Buena vs. Chugg/Porter – MtnVwMesa
Lugo/Gamez – Sunnyside vs. Metz/Barkenbush -Pinnacle
Lugo/Gamaz – Sunnyside BYE

D-II SINGLES

First Round; Friday, April 15
Phoenix Tennis Center
TBA

D-II DOUBLES

First Round; Friday, April 15
Phoenix Tennis Center
TBA

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