With boy’s varsity tennis Class 5A state regionals over, all eyes are on how the state championships will go. Going into the competition seeded second below Regis and with an overall 22-3 win average, most players believe that the championships will go well. So far, Creek has won 46 out of 52 championships.
For junior Charlie Stern, one of the team’s best players, confidence is high.
“For us, regionals are normally a nice ease into state championships, which I think was [true] for all of us today,” Stern said.
This ease, boosted by the confidence of wins and practice throughout the season, can be helpful when transitioning into a competition that is more difficult and prestigious, like states. While the tennis team had hosted 32 matches over the course of the season, most of the team felt like the gameplay the other schools provided were not challenging enough.
“We didn’t lose, and the competition wasn’t too great, but it’s still really fun to have the competition at all,” junior Tyson Hardy said. “I think that it’s definitely going to be challenging, especially because we’re the second seed this year and not the first. But I like finally having really fun competitions.”
In addition to being seeded behind Regis, many players are worried about missing talent due to injuries, such as players with surgeries.
“My biggest worry is that, [although] we beat Valor earlier this year 4-3, now one of our players had surgery, so we really have to keep going, which is tough,” Hardy said.
Valor, a strong competitor with an 11-2 overall win average, is a big concern for players. Alongside Regis, who Creek lost to 2-5 earlier, Valor proved to be difficult competition. This win against them in regionals, however, boosts morale among the team.
With regionals being a transition period, the state competition typically goes smoothly. Despite this, overconfidence as a result of these wins is a concern among players.
“My biggest worry is that we will cruise into state thinking that we will win just as easily and that could hurt us,” Stern said.
Winning confidence allows many players to remain calm and have faith in the outcomes of the state championship, as well. Many team members find that with this confidence, they perform better under the pressure.
“My personal strength is staying calm even when things are tough or when losing,” Hardy said.
For the team’s overall strengths, their wide array of talent is proving to be useful.
“Our biggest team strength is the depth and the number of really good players we have,” Hardy said.
This sentiment is not only strong with Hardy but is felt among the other players on the team.
“We have strong players all throughout our lineup,” Stern said.
This strength within individuals on the team is built by the cohesion and depth that the team has, and as Stern explains, it might just carry them to the win for state.
“I’m excited to see where this takes us,” Stern said.
