Despite bowing out early from the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League finals, there is optimism brewing in the Scotts Valley High School boys tennis program.
The team finished the season second to Santa Cruz High School, and has only one player graduating, senior Jordan Rein.
“All of our players showed improvement through the season,” said head coach Greg Weston. “They all complement with each other
Weston hopes to have all 11 players back next season – and with the possible addition of freshmen talent, the team could challenge for the league title.
“I think we’ll be in strong contention next year,” he said.
In the SCCAL Finals held at Seascape Resort on April 24, Rein, the Falcon’s No. 1 singles player fell to Aptos’ Joe McMinn 6-3, 6-4.
At No. 2 singles, Scotts Valley’s Ryan Miller lost to Walker Nodine of Santa Cruz 6-3, 6-4. At No. 1 doubles, the Scotts Valley duo of Jack Beyke and Andrew Nichol fell to Carl Thigpen and Ben Bacher of Santa Cruz 6-4, 6-3.
The bright spot in the day was the No. 2 doubles team of Mackenzie Cook and Bennett Sanderson who after going down 0-5 in the first set to Aptos’ Nich Church and Matius Urzun came all the way back to win the match. The team fell to a doubles team from Santa Cruz 6-1, 6-4 in the second round.
The team of Cook and Sanderson came together part-way through the season, Weston said.
“Since we put them together, they’ve gotten better each match,” he said.
San Lorenzo Valley
For San Lorenzo Valley singles player Marty Varner fell to Ryan Light of Aptos 6-1, 6-1 and the Cougar doubles team of Chris Holle and Carter Hayes dropped their match in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 to Eli Dennis and Rousseau Gleitsman of Aptos.
