GLENDALE — Catalina Foothills is closing in on yet another tennis state championship. Maybe two more, actually.
The Falcons’ boys and girls teams advanced to the Division II state finals on Friday, sweeping their opponents once again. The two-time defending champion boys team beat No. 4 Mesa Skyline 5-0 while the girls cruised past No. 4 Buckeye to reach their eighth straight championship match.
Now the top-seeded girls get a chance at revenge for last season’s runner-up finish, when they take on No. 2 Scottsdale Notre Dame at Paseo Racquet Center on Saturday, in a rematch of last year’s title tilt. The Foothills boys, also the No. 1 seed, take on second-seeded Pusch Ridge Christian in the other championship match.
Both title matches are scheduled for 2 p.m.
“This was a decisive win today, the girls really come out confident,” Catalina Foothills girls coach Kristie Stevens said. “It going to be really important for them tomorrow to just focus on their game. There can be a lot of distractions and nervousness at this stage, but it'll be crucial for them to focus on fundamentals.”
The Foothills girls are in the finals for the 15th in the last 16 seasons, but just three of its six players in the rotation had played in a state tournament setting before this year and only senior Morgan Chakraborty has had the experience of lifting up a championship trophy.
Stevens said the leadership from Chakraborty, Abby Watson and Halle Zadro has helped set the tone for this group. The sophomore duo of Watson and Zadro teamed up to win a doubles championship last season.
“Morgan, Abby and Halle have been inspirational talking to our underclassmen about what this experience is like,” Stevens said. “Having lost the championship last year has really just given them the focus of getting the title back this year.”
While the girls try to get back on top, the Foothills boys will be trying to stay on top.
Senior No. 1 player Mike Lee, who is signed with the University of Arizona, rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 on Friday to help set the tone. The Falcons extended their winning streak to 52 matches.
“We're just looking forward to a three-peat,” Lee said. “We talk about it all the time, how it’s going to happen for sure. I just think we're deeper than the remaining teams and we can all switch one-through-six and play wherever.”
Pusch Ridge took down sixth-seeded Salpointe Catholic 5-1 on Friday to remain unbeaten and reach the state finals in its first season at the Division II level. Saturday’s championship match will be the Lions’ first meeting with Foothills.
“For me, this is a lot of fun,” Pusch Ridge senior Camron Vick said. “The higher level of play has made playing tennis a lot more fun for me, and hopefully for the rest of my team, too. Because at the end of last season I felt I was challenged maybe once or twice. This season I'm being consistently challenged.”
Salpointe senior Yash Parikh, the Division II singles state champion, was the lone Lancer to record a win in the match as he beat Shawn Parks 6-2, 6-3.
For Vick, beating Salpointe and advancing to the state final, in what will be the final match for Pusch Ridge coach David Towne, has been a dream come true.
“I know for a fact that we have one of the best coaches in the city,” Vick said. “This win says we're a group of friends who want to play hard and have fun. We're a community. A win tomorrow would feel amazing, and hopefully it'll take some of the focus off the football state championship and put the focus on us a little bit.”
POSTSEASON GLANCE
BOYS TENNIS
DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
First-round results
No. 1 Catalina Foothills 5, No. 16 Surprise Willow Canyon 0
No. 2 Pusch Ridge Christian 5, No. 15 Canyon del Oro 0
No. 6 Salpointe Catholic 5, No. 11 Chandler Prep 0
No. 8 Nogales 5, No. 9 Scottsdale Notre Dame 0
No. 4 Mesa Skyline 5, No. 13 Rincon/University 2
Quarterfinal results
No. 1 Catalina Foothills 6, No. 8 Nogales 0
No. 2 Pusch Ridge Christian 5, No. 7 Phoenix Thunderbird 0
No. 6 Salpointe Catholic 5, No. 3 Buckeye Verrado 0
Friday’s semifinal results
No. 1 Catalina Foothills 5, No. 4 Mesa Skyline 0
No. 2 Pusch Ridge Christian 5, No. 6 Salpointe Catholic 1
Championship – Saturday at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale
No. 2 Pusch Ridge Christian vs. No. 1 Catalina Foothills, 2 p.m.
DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT
First-round results
No. 9 Desert Christian beats No. 8 Tanque Verde by forfeit
Quarterfinal results
No. 9 Desert Christian 6, No. 1 Scottsdale Prep 3
Friday’s semifinal results
No. 9 Desert Christian 5, No. 5 Arizona College Prep 3
Championship – Saturday at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale
No. 9 Desert Christian vs. No. 2 Thatcher, 5 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
First-round results
No. 1 Catalina Foothills 5, No. 16 Mesa Skyline 0
No. 3 Salpointe Catholic 5, No. 14 Glendale Cactus 0
No. 5 Rincon/University 6, No. 12 Buckeye Verrado 0
No. 8 Nogales 5, No. 9 Phoenix Country Day 0
No. 7 Page 5, No. 10 Douglas 0
No. 11 Sabino 5, No. 6 Yuma Gila Ridge 2
Wednesday’s second round results
No. 1 Catalina Foothills 6, No. 8 Nogales 0
No. 3 Salpointe Catholic 5, No. 11 Sabino 3
No. 4 Buckeye 5, No. 5 Rincon/University 2
Semifinals – Friday at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale
No. 1 Catalina Foothills 5, No. 4 Buckeye 0
No. 2 Scottsdale Notre Dame 5, No. 3 Salpointe Catholic 0
Championship – Saturday at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale
No. 2 Scottsdale Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Catalina Foothills, 2 p.m.
DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT
First-round results
No. 8 Walden Grove 7, No. 9 Scottsdale Prep 2
No. 7 Benson 5, No. 10 St. David 0
No. 2 Miami 5, No. 15 Tanque Verde 2
Second round results
No. 7 Benson 5, No. 2 Miami 4
No. 1 Safford 5, No. 8 Walden Grove 4
Semifinals – Friday at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale
No. 7 Benson vs. No. 3 Surprise Shadow Ridge, postponed (Will resume Saturday at noon)
Championship – Saturday at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale
Championship match scheduled for 5 p.m.
