The defending State 3A champion Parma Panthers and Community School Cutthroats from Sun Valley are headed to another showdown at the state prep tennis championships.
Parma and The Community School will be the big elephants in the middle of the road when the 2008 State 3A tennis tournament is played Friday and Saturday, May 16-17 at Vallivue High School in Caldwell.
It will be a little more intriguing this year when the team totals are calculated because, for the first time, the Idaho High School Activities Association will award separate team trophies for girls and boys—splitting the point totals of mixed doubles.
Last year it was no contest.
Grabbing their first state title in 13 years, the Panthers dethroned the Cutthroats 114-59 last year in Boise, in the process winning four of the five individual titles.
It was the first time since 1998 that the three-time defending state champion Cutthroats didn't crown a state champ in one of the five state categories.
And the Cutthroats will have their work cut out for them Friday at Caldwell.
Parma returns plenty, including reigning state singles' winners Bryant Timmons and Kali Roche, a senior and sophomore. One of its potential weaknesses, girls' doubles, was bolstered by the addition of 2007 mixed doubles champ Alison Fetter, now a senior.
The Panthers dominated Saturday's Third District 3A five-team tournament at Parma and once again will send 17 to state. The Panthers swept all five individual titles in straight sets. Indeed, Parma players or teams matched up as the finalists in girls' singles, boys' doubles and mixed doubles.
So, coach Phil Huss' Cutthroats will have to be on their game at Caldwell.
They certainly made quick work of Friday's state-qualifying Fourth District meet at Sun Valley Tennis Club and won the three-school meet by an overwhelming 164-70 margin over Sugar-Salem.
"We had a great district tournament," said Huss.
Sun Valley qualified all 18 players for state—and they'll need to get points from all.
The Cutthroats (84 points singles, 80 doubles) captured the Sun Valley school's 10th district tennis championship in 11 years Friday at Sun Valley Tennis Club. They won 26 of their 35 matches on a cool and breezy spring day at the resort.
They swept singles behind the efforts of senior Travis Stone and junior Courtney Hamilton. They added the girls' doubles title with Cody Curran and Marin Shepardson.
Since the top three district finishers advanced to the State 3A tournament, the Cutthroats also qualified the following players for state:
Second places—Paul Davis and Emmy O'Reilly in singles; Peter Atkinson and Tanner Flanigan in boys' doubles; Emily Eshman and Ricki Eshman in girls' doubles; and Riley Berman and Jessie Berman in mixed doubles.
Third places—Chet Stephens and Emma Wilander in singles; Wyatt Bunce and Bergen Palmer in boys' doubles; and John Martin and Melissa Becker in mixed doubles.
Action in the Idaho High School Activities Association meet for the state's smaller schools begins Friday at 8 a.m. and finishes up Saturday. It's a 12-team and 12-player draw.
The Cutthroats remain a dynasty in State 3A tennis, having won five state championships in seven years. But Parma (8 state titles overall) is back in business, after being the early Gem State power with four state titles from 1968-71.
It will be the Sun Valley independent school's 24th trip to state tennis. Of the 18 state qualifiers from The Community School, 11 were at state tennis last year in Boise.
Here are results from Friday's district tournament:
Final team standings
1—Community School 164 points—10th district title in 11 years, 4th straight
2—Sugar-Salem 70 points (12 points singles, 58 doubles)
3—Gooding 17 points (10 points singles, 7 doubles)
Points by singles/doubles
Community School (26-9 all matches)—84 points singles (16-4), 80 points doubles (10-5)
Points by category
Community School (164): 42 BS, 42 GS, 25 BD, 32 GD, 23 MD.
Sugar-Salem (70): 8 BS, 4 GS,18 BD, 17 GD, 23 MD.
Gooding (17): 3 BS, 7 GS, 7 BD, 0 GD, 0 MD.
On to state (three in each category):
Community School (18 entrants)—18 to state (6 S, 12 D)
Sugar-Salem (18 entrants)—6 to state (0 S, 6 D)
Gooding (15 entrants)—0 to state (0 S, 0 D)
Fourth District 3A/Class B team championships:
Community School (12)—2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1989, 1987
Wood River (13)—2004, 1993-96, 1990, 1988, 1982, 1976-80
Gooding (1)—1981
Boys singles (9 players)
Seeds
1—Travis Stone (CS senior)
1—Paul Davis (CS sophomore)
2—Shane Ball (S-S)
3—Chet Stephens (CS junior)
Final results (top 3 to state)
1—Travis Stone (CS senior)
2—Paul Davis (CS sophomore)
3—Chet Stephens (CS junior)
4—Shane Ball (Sugar-Salem)
Championship—Travis Stone (CS senior) 6-1, 6-0 over Paul Davis (CS sophomore)
Third place—Chet Stephens (CS junior) 7-6, 6-2 over Shane Ball (S-S)
Community School players
Travis Stone (3-0, senior)
Won 6-2, 6-1 over Andrew Jensen (G)
Won 6-0, 6-1 over Chet Stephens (S-S)
Won 6-1, 6-0 over Paul Davis (CS)—championship
Paul Davis (2-1, sophomore)
Won 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 over Brennan Harris (S-S)
Won 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 over Shane Ball (S-S)
Lost 6-1, 6-0 to Travis Stone (CS)--championship
Chet Stephens (3-1, junior)
Won 6-0, 6-4 over Josh Bullers (G)
Lost 6-0, 6-1 to Travis Stone (CS)
Won 7-5, 6-2 over Brennan Harris (S-S)
Won 7-6, 6-2 over Shane Ball (S-S)—third place
Girls singles (8 players)
Seeds
1—Courtney Hamilton (CS junior)
2—Emmy O'Reilly (CS junior)
3—Marlene Clawson (S-S)
4—Emma Wilander (CS freshman)
Final results (top 3 to state)
1—Courtney Hamilton (CS junior)
2—Emmy O'Reilly (CS junior)
3—Emma Wilander (CS freshman)
4—Alissa Reed (Gooding)
Championship—Courtney Hamilton (CS junior) 6-3, 6-2 over Emmy O'Reilly (CS junior)
Third place—Emma Wilander (CS freshman) 8-3 over Alissa Reed (Gooding)
Community School players
Courtney Hamilton (3-0, junior)
Won 6-0, 6-1 over Emily Clark (S-S)
Won 6-2, 6-3 over Emma Wilander (CS)
Won 6-3, 6-2 over Emmy O'Reilly (CS)--championship
Emmy O'Reilly (2-1, junior)
Won 6-1, 6-0 over Lauren Jeppson (S-S)
Won 6-0, 6-1 over Alissa Reed (Good)
Lost 6-3, 6-2 to Courtney Hamilton (CS)—championship
Emma Wilander (3-1, freshman)
Won by forfeit
Lost 6-2, 6-3 to Courtney Hamilton (CS)
Won 8-4 over Lauren Jeppson (S-S)
Won 8-3 over Alissa Reed (Gooding)—third place
Boys doubles (6 teams)
Seeds
1—Peter Atkinson-Tanner Flanigan (CS junior-sophomore)
2—Steve Holman-Brian King (S-S)
3—Wyatt Bunce-Bergen Palmer (CS sophomores)
4—Brock Walters-Brandon Perry (S-S)
Final results (top 3 to state)
1—Steve Holman-Brian King (S-S)—won district BD title 2007
2—Peter Atkinson-Tanner Flanigan (CS junior-sophomore)—2007 BD runner-up
3—Wyatt Bunce-Bergen Palmer (CS sophomores)
4—Chase McLeod-Richard Kelly (Gooding)
Championship—Steve Holman-Brian King (S-S) 6-2, 6-2 over Peter Atkinson-Tanner Flanigan (CS junior-sophomore)
Third place—Wyatt Bunce-Bergen Palmer (CS sophs) 6-2, 6-2 over Chase McLeod-Richard Kelly (Gooding)
Community School teams
Peter Atkinson-Tanner Flanigan (1-1, junior/sophomore)
Won 6-2, 6-1 over John Kallenberg-Kirk Kerr (Good)
Lost 6-2, 6-2 to Steve Holman-Brian King (S-S)—championship
Wyatt Bunce-Bergen Palmer (3-1, sophomores)
Won 6-2, 6-0 over Chase McLeod-Richard Kelly (Good)
Lost 6-0, 6-1 to Steve Holman-Brian King (S-S)
Won 6-0, 6-1 over Brock Walters-Brandon Perry (S-S)
Won 6-2, 6-2 over Chase McLeod-Richard Kelly (Gooding)—third place
Girls doubles (6 teams)
Seeds
1—Cody Curran-Marin Shepardson (CS senior, junior)
2—Emily Eshman-Ricki Eshman (CS senior, sophomore)
3—Chelsea Yardley-Mikaela Price (S-S)
4—Katie Moser-Carly Grant (S-S)
Final results (top 3 to state)
1—Cody Curran-Marin Shepardson (CS senior, junior)
2—Emily Eshman-Ricki Eshman (CS senior, sophomore)
3—Katie Moser-Carly Grant (S-S)
4—Chelsea Yardley-Mikaela Price (S-S)
Community School teams
Cody Curran-Marin Shepardson (2-0, senior/junior)
Won 6-1, 6-0 over Katie Moser-Carly Grant (S-S)
Won 6-3, 6-2 over Emily Eshman-Ricki Eshman (CS)—championship
Emily Eshman-Ricki Eshman (1-1, senior/sophomore)
Won 6-1, 6-1 over Chelsea Yardley-Mikaela Price (S-S)
Lost 6-3, 6-2 to Cody Curran-Marin Shepardson (CS)—championship
Mixed doubles (5 teams)
Seeds
1—Greg Grant-Katelyn Thueson (S-S seniors)
2—Riley Berman-Jessie Curran (CS junior, senior)
3—Jace Fogle-Jessica Tingey (S-S)
4—John Martin-Melissa Becker (CS junior, sophomore)
Final results (top 3 to state)
1—Greg Grant-Katelyn Thueson (S-S seniors)
2—Riley Berman-Jessie Curran (CS junior, senior)
3—John Martin-Melissa Becker (CS junior, sophomore)
4—Jace Fogle-Jessica Tingey (S-S)
Championship—Greg Grant-Katelyn Thueson (S-S seniors) 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (2) over Riley Berman-Jessie Curran (CS junior, senior)
Third place—John Martin-Melissa Becker (CS junior, sophomore) 6-3, 6-4 over Jace Fogle-Jessica Tingey (S-S)
Community School teams
Riley Berman-Jessie Curran (1-1, junior/senior)
Won 6-3, 6-3 over Jace Fogle-Jessica Tingey (S-S)
Lost 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (2) to Greg Grant-Katelyn Thueson (S-S seniors)—championship
John Martin-Melissa Becker (2-1, junior/sophomore)
Won 6-1, 6-0 over Tim Arkoosh-Renee Howells (Good)
Lost 6-1, 6-1 to Greg Grant-Katelyn Thueson (S-S seniors)
Won 6-3, 6-4 over Jace Fogle-Jessica Tingey (S-S)—third place
Peter Atkinson (left) and Tanner Flanigan, ready for a return at Sun Valley Tennis Club during a recent match, will be going to the State 3A tennis tournament May 16-17 at Vallivue High School in Caldwell. Photo by Willy Cook
