Despite demolishing District 2AAAA rival Capital 9-0 April 8, the Española Valley boys tennis team will have a tough road ahead if it hopes to compete for a district title.
Taos defeated Española 6-3 April 7 and Los Alamos has a strong team. The fifth member of District 2AAAA, Bernalillo, does not have a tennis program.
Española coach Wendell Barnett has a large but inexperienced team.
“They’re so brand new they’re still learning the basic techniques,” Barnett said.
Seniors Ryan Martinez and Sterling McCall are Española’s top two singles players and form its top doubles team.
“Once you get past Sterling, it falls of dramatically,” Barnett said.
Ray Romero, Marco Vigil and Zheng Zhong are the other seniors that play singles on the team. Romero and Zhong won their matches against Capital, as did junior Devin Galligan and freshman Jeremy Romero. Vigil did not compete against Capital.
Martinez and McCall are also the Sundevils’ top doubles team. Barnett has not yet found the right combination to compete as the Sundevils’ second and third doubles team.
“I’m trying to put something together but I’m not having much luck,” Barnett said.
Freshman Jozeeb Martinez, Dion Montoya and C. J. Berryman, as well as junior David de La Cruz, are being tried at both singles and doubles.
“All of them have potential, but there’s a lot of work to be done,” Barnett said.
Barnett said the best hope Española has of advancing to the Class AAAA state tennis tournament is in an individual event.
The doubles team of Ryan Martinez and McCall defeated Taos’ top doubles team 6-2, 6-2 and won 6-1, 6-3 against Capital’s top doubles team.
Barnett must make a decision during the district tournament whether to play Ryan Martinez and McCall in singles or doubles competition. The top three singles players and the top three doubles teams in the tournament advance to state, but players can only compete in singles or doubles, not both.
In the separate team competition, players may compete in both singles and doubles. The top two teams in the district advance to the state tournament.
Barnett is in his 23rd season at Española. The Sundevils have produced two district champions during his tenure. Henry Talachy won the boys singles title in 2007 and Talachy teamed up with Frankie Rendon to win the 2006 doubles title. Española has never won a district team title.
One of the handicaps that has held Española back in recent years is the condition of the tennis courts at Española Valley High School.
Although the team has to practice on the courts because there is nothing else available in Española, the courts have not been in the condition to host tournaments since the 2005 season.
“We don’t have the exposure we need,” Barnett said.
The District 2AAAA tournament will be held May 1-2 at Taos.