GLENDALE – While No. 4 Goodyear Millennium High School spent just shy of 3 1/2 hours to stun top-seeded Scottsdale Chaparral 5-2 Friday, No. 2 Catalina Foothills made fast work of upstart Prescott High 5-0 in boys tennis.
The two meet at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Paseo Racquet Center for the 4A-I state championship. Foothills has won the last four state titles.
Foothills swept the three doubles and got quick victories from Mike Tringali (6-0, 6-2) and Ravi Ram (6-0, 6-2) in singles.
“People might think (Foothills) has an advantage (getting off the court early), but the advantage for us is realizing we belong here,” Millennium coach Mo Tafolla said. “We’ve put ourselves on the map by reaching the state finals, our first ever.”
Despite its mastery of Prescott, Foothills coach Robb Salant wasn’t overly pleased.
“I wasn’t happy with how we played,” Salant said. “We can’t just come out and throw our racquets out there and expect to win. We have to work. Millennium is a scrappy team. I probably don’t like our chances as much as I did before I saw them play. Don’t get me wrong. I still like our chances and I’m glad I’m coaching this team.”
4A-I girls tennis
The only thing standing in the way of No. 4 Scottsdale Chaparral and a clean sweep of all three 4A-I girls tennis titles is No. 2 Catalina Foothills.
Last weekend, Chaparral’s Nikki Parker brought home the state singles title, and Molly Ruby and Elizabeth Hammond won doubles.
Friday at the Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale, Chaparral beat No. 1 Goodyear Millennium 5-3 to advance to team finals.
After Chaparral moved on, Catalina Foothills beat No. 6 Phoenix Sunnyslope 5-2 to set up Saturday’s 2 p.m. championship.
The highlight of the afternoon will be when Parker faces Catalina Foothills’ Zaina Sufi in a rematch of last weekend’s singles championship.
Sufi knows she needs to change things up in order to come out on top.
“I need to wait for my shots,” Sufi said. “Last time I forced it too much.
“I’m excited for it. She’s great, but I want another shot at her.”
Catalina Foothills won two of its three doubles matches to start its match and was never trailing at any time.
4A-II Boys tennis
The Palo Verde boys tennis team set the tone early in its match against Scottsdale Notre Dame on Friday, winning two out of three doubles matches in the 4A Division II semifinals at the Paseo Racquet Center.
But Notre Dame, the No. 2 seed, climbed back into it, tying the best of nine match at 4 in singles action before Palo Verde’s Anthony Monestero clinched the win, beating John Blumenreich 6-3, 6-3.
The 5-4 win puts No. 3 Palo Verde in Saturday’s championship match vs. No. 4 Chandler Seton Catholic, which upset No. 1 Scottsdale Arcadia 5-4 on Friday.
Saturday’s championship starts at 11 a.m. at the Paseo Racquet Center.
1A baseball
The Tanque Verde baseball team dominated its opening-round game Friday in the Class 1A state playoffs, beating Flagstaff Northland Prep 10-1 behind a 12-strikeout performance from pitcher Josh King, who also drove in a pair of runs.
Tanque Verde will play Pima at Tempe Diablo Complex 2 p.m. Saturday.
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Class 4A tennis championships
Three Tucson teams will play for Class 4A tennis team championships Saturday at Glendale’s Paseo Racquet Center.
Class 4A Division I – Boys
> No. 2 Catalina Foothills vs. No. 4 Goodyear Millennium, 2 p.m.
Class 4A Division I – Girls
> No. 2 Catalina Foothills vs. No. 4 Scottsdale Chaparral, 2 p.m.
Class 4A Division II – Boys
> No. 3 Palo Verde vs. No. 4 Chandler Seton Catholic, 11 a.m.
Baseball/softball
There are 26 southern Arizona Class 4A and Class 5A baseball and softball teams in state playoff action Saturday around Arizona.
For updates on those games and all the small school state tournament action, log onto www.tucsoncitizen.com/blog Saturday for updates.
By The Arizona Republic, Citizen Staff Report