After an opening loss to Thunderbird High School three weeks ago, Mingus Union High School boys tennis [3-1] has the ball rolling.
After losing both his singles and doubles match Feb. 28 in the Marauders’ home opener against Thunderbird High School on the way to a 6-3 team defeat, senior Talon Walz has not lost a singles match since, defeating junior Max Hauserman in straight sets to lead the team to an
8-1 victory Tuesday, March 18, over visiting rival Sedona Red Rock High School.
As for doubles play, head coach and father Tarrin Walz had a message for his son March 18.
“Talon’s sitting out doubles. I’m sick of his attitude,” joked head coach and father Tarrin Walz.
Attitude was not a problem for the Marauders against the Scorpions, as MUHS calmly dispatched SRRHS without senior Micah Nevarez, No. 2 on the Marauders’ varsity tennis ladder, who missed the
March 18 match due to a football tryout in Phoenix.
“I’m just getting a couple of junior varsity kids their varsity letter,” Walz said. “It worked out for us because Micah didn’t show up.”
Sophomore Ian Flannery was moved up from the junior varsity team to No. 6 in Walz’s absence and won his first match, 1-6, 6-3, 10-7 over Scorpions sophomore Jesus Dominguez.
“The boys did great,” Walz said. “Ian picked up his first varsity win.”
Senior Gary Baker and sophomores Turner Walz and Logan Connella all won their singles matches over their Scorpions opponents without allowing a set point, 6-0, 6-0.
Senior Tanner Caron won both his singles and doubles matches — 6-1, 6-3 over sophomore Benny Guadarrama and, with Baker, 8-1 over Guadarrama and Hauserman.
While Flannery, along with fellow sophomore Jerry Hernandez, would lose his doubles match, 8-4, Connella and Turner Walz would take their No. 2 doubles match, 8-3.
“I feel freaking awesome,” Connella said following the doubles win. “Me and Turner, we’re planning on doing this all the way through high school.”
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, March 21, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
