Hailey's Wood River High School and The Community School of Sun Valley have the most players entered in their respective categories at the State 4A and 3A prep tournaments opening today, Friday on courts in Boise and Caldwell.
Saturday's championship and third-place matches are critical to team success, but today's early-round matches for all-important advancement points could determine which schools take home the trophies.
And Wood River and TCS have as good a chance as any.
Wood River (14 players) out-numbers Bishop Kelly of Boise (11), Sandpoint (10) and Century (10), defending champ Hillcrest (9) and Bonneville (9).
Matches will be played at different sites—boys' singles at Boise State's Appleton Tennis Complex, girls' singles at Julia Davis Park and doubles at Timberline High. All championships are at BSU's Appleton.
In the 3A division at Caldwell's Vallivue High School courts, The Community School (17 players) outnumbers Parma (14). Parma is pinning its hopes on doubles and its three-time defending girls' singles champion Kali Roche. Last year, the Cutthroats won the boys' team title and Parma captured the girls' team honor.