Boys tennis: Team tournament quarterfinal preview

The first round of the CHSAA boys tennis team tournament is over, and while there were some expected romps from the favorites, there were some amazing contests, as well thrillers, from start to finish. It was an exciting day for the kids to participate in this inaugural event, and now that the 1st round jitters are out of the way, it’s on to the quarterfinals on Saturday where the matches will only get more intense from here.

Class 5A

(1) Cherry Creek vs. (8) Grandview

While the Bruins cruised through Heritage 7-0 in the first round, Grandview had a slugfest with the Coyotes of Monarch. But the Wolves prevailed with a tight 4-3 win thanks to some heroics from the 2 doubles team of Josh Son and Alex Eckley. But now comes a totally different caliber of competition as Grandview has to try and find a way to take down the juggernaut of 5A tennis in Cherry Creek. The good news is they have seen them before, and also had a statement win at 1 singles as Eduard Tsaturyan cruised to a 6-1 6-2 win over defending state champion Aram Izmirian. The 1 doubles match also split sets, so this match could be a whole lot tighter than initially expected from the 6-1 team result in mid September. However, Cherry Creek still remains the heavy favorites not only to beat Grandview, but to claim their 45th state championship.

(4) Fossil Ridge vs. (5) Arapahoe

Similar to the previous matchup, Fossil Ridge was able to breeze past Rock Canyon 7-0 while Arapahoe had to fight for a 4-3 win over Rocky Mountain. But the top of the lineup got the job done for the Warriors, as all 3 singles lines plus 1 doubles were able to win their matches in straight sets to quiet the upset-minded Lobos. This should be a very tight match between a regular contender and a talented newcomer, but the Warriors might have the advantage when it comes to singles. Their trio of Cale Brush, Tyler Rock and Jack Winslow might be able to take down the Sabercats singles players. But Fossil’s strength has always been their depth, and they might have the edge when it comes to the doubles matches. It should be a very entertaining quarterfinal matchup.

(2) Valor Christian vs. (10) Fairview

A common theme seems to be reappearing in these quarterfinal previews, as another powerhouse in Valor Christian rolled over Fort Collins 7-0 while the lone underdog of 5A or 4A to come out victorious in their first round match was the Knights of Fairview, fighting their way to a 4-3 win over Denver East. This might have been the best of all the first round matches as there were 5 matches that split sets while the other two straight set matches still had tiebreakers involved. But it was the depth of the Knights doubles, plus a big time performance from junior Caden Bell that pushed them over the top to avenge their earlier loss this season to the Angels. But Valor is going to be on a whole different level, with Christian Trevey leading the way for the Eagles. This should still be a competitive and intense match between two battle-tested teams.

(3) Regis Jesuit vs. (6) Ralston Valley

This is the lone matchup of the quarterfinals where both schools were able to find relatively easy first round wins over their respective opponents. The Raiders put together a better performance vs the Panthers of Boulder than they did earlier in the season, sweeping the 7-0 victory, albeit with some tight singles matches. The Mustangs were a different story, as RV smashed Mountain Vista 6-1, losing their 3 singles match but winning all the others in straight sets. This match between Regis and RV is going to be tight, as both schools have deep doubles teams and some strong singles lines that should be evenly matched. If either Hadley Fisher or Calder Hardin can find the upset over the Raiders Clay Dickey or Agustin Azcui, this might be the most likely matchup where the lower seed could prevail.

Class 4A

(1) Kent Denver vs. (8) Niwot

The Sun Devils from Kent Denver are simply on a different level from the rest of the 4A schools, as they smoked a solid team from University in straightforward fashion. Meanwhile, the Cougars from Niwot had a slugfest with the Tigers from Grand Junction, finding the finish line in a 4-3 win. The singles trio of Luke Weber, LiChen Liao and Charlie Kirtland rolled, but the Tigers answered with wins at 2, 3 and 4 doubles. It came down to 1 doubles, where Oskar Hansen and Sebastian Moy played the heroes, clinching the win in 3 sets for their team. These teams met just last week, with Kent sweeping the 7-0 win, but there should still be some tight matches between 2 and 3 singles, plus 1 and 4 doubles as well. Niwot would have to play lights out to pull off the shocker.

(4) Colorado Academy vs. (5) Mullen

It’s a battle of the Mustangs, as both CA and Mullen got through their first round matchups with relative ease over Thomas Jefferson and Peak to Peak. This match between the local rivals is going to be a fun one, as they played in late August at the beginning of the season where CA found the 5-2 win. But Mullen has been playing their best tennis in the last week or two and will have their 3 seniors Jack Barker and the Duke brothers leading the way in singles. The doubles should be plenty competitive as well, as CA won all 4 the first time around but they were very close. This could be anyone’s match, and which Mustangs prevail is a toss up.

(2) Cheyenne Mountain vs (7) D’Evelyn

The Red Tailed Hawks still look like the top threat to Kent Denver, with some great doubles teams leading the way as they had no problems handing Thompson Valley. They get to play the Jaguars from D’Evelyn, who clawed their way to a 4-3 victory over a tough team from Coronado. Similar to the previous matchup, these two teams played a month ago in late August, with CM coming out on top 5-2. D’Evelyn might have a slight edge in singles as Aswaanth Karuppasamy and Xalen Mitchell found wins at 1 and 3 singles the first time around, but expect fireworks between friends Steven Zhou and Eric Pham at 2 singles, as they had a fun battle at 2 singles. The doubles is where the Jags will have to search for answers to match CM, as they lost all 4 matches in straight sets. But with the Jags having played one of the toughest schedules in the state, they will certainly be ready this time around.

(3) Denver South vs (6) George Washington

Our last quarterfinal matchup features two league rivals and a edge of your seat rematch in the making. Both the Ravens and the Patriots had smooth sailing in the first round over Dawson and Evergreen, but their 2nd contest this season will be anything but easy. The first one was an all out brawl, with the Ravens squeezing out a 4-3 win with 3 of their wins going to the distance to 3 sets. The battles at 2 and 3 singles between Andrew Rettig and Max Morales, plus Andrew Wolden and Ryan Hajek could decide who comes out on top. George Washington has some of the best doubles teams in the state at 2 and 3 doubles in Bryce Dilworth and Carlisle Wright, and Gavin Foonberg and Eddie Strand. But the Ravens answer with an elite 1 singles player in Raphael Wieland, and just like the battle of the Mustangs, the fight for Denver 4A supremacy could be just as close.