With schools in Arizona being closed for the year, the Mingus boys tennis season came to a premature end. But while the season ended early, the Marauders seniors did get to finish the year on a high note.
The final match of the season for Mingus came on March 5 on the road against Peoria. In that match, the Marauders defeated the home Panthers 8-1 to move to 5-0 on the season. With that, the Mingus team would have had a chance to do something that it hadn’t done in more than a decade.
“The team wants to go to state this year,” senior John Valentine said prior to the cancellation of the season. “We haven’t gone in 13 years. We came close two years ago. We were No. 16 but got bumped out by a team that won its section. But we’re on pace for it and that’s really our goal.”
Valentine and fellow senior Travis O’Donnal led the team as captains. The pair also occupied the top two singles spots, with Valentine No. 1 and O’Donnal No. 2.
Valentine was also one half of the No. 2 doubles team. His doubles partner — junior Riley Bliss — had been one of coach Larry Linberry’s most pleasant surprises.
“He was practicing with John in the winter — just hitting balls — and decided to try out for the team,” Linberry said of Bliss. “After the challenge matches, he became the No. 6 singles player and is playing No. 2 doubles with John.”
The Marauders No. 1 doubles team was also composed of players familiar with each other, senior Ryan Russel and his brother, sophomore Silas Russell. They were also the No. 4 [Silas] and No. 5 [Ryan] singles players for Mingus.
“We’ve got a good team,” Ryan said. “We’ve just got to figure a few things out. This is a really hard-working team. They’re some of the greatest people that I’ve been able to get to know.”
An early-season performance that impressed Linberry came when Mingus traveled to Laveen to take on Betty H. Fairfax. The Marauders fell well behind against the Stampede in all but one of the six singles matches. But Mingus rallied from there, with O’Donnal, sophomore Jack Zahoudanis and both Russel boys winning their singles matches to go into doubles up 4-2. The Marauders then won the doubles session 2-1 to complete a 6-1 victory.
With that performance, Mingus met one of the goals that Linberry lays out for every team and player he coaches.
“In every team situation I only ask for two things,” Linberry noted. “One is that they try for every ball. Two is that they comport themselves like gentlemen. This team does that. I am very proud of this team. I was very proud of that win against Betty Fairfax. I love coaching and I love coaching these kids.”
