First-day adversity and split set thrillers didn't stop The Community School boys' tennis team from successfully defending its State 3A team championship Saturday in Caldwell.
Coach Phil Huss' Cutthroat boys won the Sun Valley independent school's seventh State 3A tennis title and second in a row by a 47-41 margin over Parma's Panthers. Homedale (24) was a distant third.
They didn't win an individual gold medal or silver in the two-day meet, but three victories in the consolation championships put the Cutthroats over the top in the boys' team totals.
With doubles powerhouse Parma (81 points doubles) lurking and trying to take the gold away from the Cutthroats, clutch victories by seniors Paul Davis-Wyatt Bunce and sophomore Will Brokaw-senior Ricki Eshman were pivotal.
Huss said, "Every match counted but these, in particular, were key to securing the boys' title."
Davis and Bunce, Sun Valley's #2 boys' doubles team, won third place 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 over Parma's Landon Smyser and Chance Velie. Huss said, "In a hard-fought, scrappy, knees-bloodied third set, Wyatt and Paul kept pressuring the net after good, deep approach shots and they were able to prevail."
Brokaw and Eshman played together for the first time just 10 days ago, but they won five of their six matches at state including a dramatic 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2) split-set nailbiter over Parma's Samuel Knickerbocker and Melanie Loya.
Huss said, "Any match against Parma is important because it prevents our rival from earning any more points in the tournament."
And Parma with its 14 state qualifiers earned plenty of points, 106 of them overall including a 65-30 margin in the final girls' team totals that secured the 12th Panther state tennis championship. In contrast, The Community School ended with 66 combined points.
The Cutthroats did have a 23-0 edge over Parma in boys' singles thanks mainly to sophomores Hunter Weaver and Tim Kanellitsas, who played each other in the third-place match. But Parma was too tough overall with its two gold medals and two silvers.
"It was another Community School and Parma showdown, but we had a disappointing start where all our players were knocked out of the main draw by 3:30 p.m. Friday," said Huss. "We battled back in boys' singles and doubles, and mixed doubles to solidify another state title for our boys' team."
Overall team
1—Parma (14 qualifiers) 106. 2—The Community School (17) 66. 3—Fruitland (12) 49. 4—Weiser (8) 46.
Boys team
1—Community School 47 (7th state title). 2—Parma 41. 3—Homedale 24. 4—Fruitland 20.5. 5—Weiser 16.
Girls team
1—Parma 65 (12th state title). 2—Weiser 30. 3—Fruitland 28.5. 4—Clark Fork 24. 5—Community School 19.
Points by category
(106)—Parma 0 BS, 25 GS, 29 BD, 28 GD, 24 MD=106
1st—BD, MD. 2nd—GS, GD. 3rd—GD. 4th—GS, BD.
(66)—Community School 23 BS, 5 GS, 16 BD, 6 GD, 16 MD=66
1st—none. 2nd—none. 3rds—BS, BD, MD. 4ths—BS.
Boys singles
Championship—Tanner Lair (Homedale junior) 6-2, 6-3 over Tobias Singhammer (New Plymouth junior)
Third place—Tim Kanellitsas (Community School sophomore) 4-3 (def.) over Hunter Weaver (Community School sophomore)
Summary: CS 6-5 match record, 23 points BS
Local players
Tim Kanellitsas (CS sophomore, 3-1)
Bye
Won 6-1, 6-4 over Austin Winegar (Weiser junior)
Lost 6-3, 6-0 to Tanner Lair (Homedale junior)
Won 6-0, 3-6, 6-2 over Jordan Meligan (Homedale junior)
Won 4-3 (def.) over Hunter Weaver (CS sophomore)—third place
Hunter Weaver (CS sophomore, 2-2)
Bye
Won 6-4, 6-2 over Jordan Meligan (Homedale junior)
Lost 6-4, 6-2 to Tobias Singhammer (New Plymouth junior)
Won 6-2, 7-5 over Jordan Meligan (Homedale junior)
Lost 4-3 (def.) to Tim Kanellitsas (CS sophomore)—third place
Erik Runkel (CS sophomore, 1-2)
Lost 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to Tobias Singhammer (New Plymouth junior)
Bye
Won 7-6, 7-6 over Bryce Nattress (Fruitland freshman)
Lost 6-4, 6-2 to Austin Winegar (Weiser junior)
Girls singles
Championship—Shae Duran (Weiser junior) 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 over Kali Roche (Parma senior)
Third place—Emily Tesnohlidek (Fruitland sophomore) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 over Landri Timmons (Parma freshman)
Summary: CS 2-4 match record, 5 points GS
Local players
Julianna Lamb (CS junior, 2-2)
Bye
Lost 6-2, 6-1 to Landri Timmons (Parma freshman)
Won 6-1, 6-0 over Carly Grant (Sugar-Salem senior)
Won 6-3, 6-2 over Shelby Hewett (Culdesac senior)
Lost 6-2, 6-0 to Emily Tesnohlidek (Fruitland sophomore)
Paige Riedinger (CS freshman, 0-2)
Lost to Shae Duran (Weiser junior)
Bye
Lost 6-1, 6-0 to Eva Hammann (Payette junior)
Emma Wilander (CS sophomore, 1-2)
Bye
Won 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 over Elizabeth Mann (Coeur d'Alene Charter senior)
Lost 6-0, 6-0 to Kali Roche (Parma junior)
Lost 6-3, 6-2 to Jenny Shaner (Parma senior)
Boys doubles
Championship—Terrell Timmons-Kyler Beck (Parma senior-freshman) 6-3, 6-2 over Spencer Richardson-Matt Child (Weiser juniors)
Third place—Paul Davis-Wyatt Bunce (CS seniors) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 over Landon Smyser-Chance Velie (Parma senior-sophomore)
Summary: CS 5-3 match record, 16 points BD
Local players
Paul Davis-Wyatt Bunce (CS seniors, 3-1)
Bye
Won 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (5) over Chris Fields-Seth Reed (Fruitland junior-sophomore)
Lost 6-4, 6-4 to Terrell Timmons-Kyler Beck (Parma senior-freshman)
Won 6-3, 6-4 over Tanner Flanigan-Jamie Jameson (CS seniors)
Won 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 over Landon Smyser-Chance Velie (Parma senior-sophomore)—third place
Tanner Flanigan-Jamie Jameson (CS seniors, 2-2)
Bye
Lost 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 6-4 to Landon Smyser-Chance Velie (Parma senior-sophomore)
Won 6-4, 6-1 over James George-Cesar Stoddard (CDA Charter juniors)
Won 6-3, 6-3 over Nate Nesbitt-Stillman Berkley (Clark Fork junior-sophomore)
Lost 6-3, 6-4 to Paul Davis-Wyatt Bunce (CS seniors)—third place
Girls doubles
Championship—Shania Gustafson-Chelsea Macumber (Clark Fork seniors) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 over Alysha Rohrbacher-Amanda Chaney (Parma senior-junior)
Third place—Erica Nichols-Rilee Brixey (Parma junior-sophomore) 6-4, 7-5 over Tanna Pettit-Erin Tolman (Weiser juniors)
Summary: CS 3-4 match record, 6 points GD
Local players
Nellie Brown-Frannie Sensenbrenner (CS senior-freshman, 2-2)
Won 6-1, 6-1 over Carley Breaux-Amanda Alder (Weiser juniors)
Lost 6-4, 7-6 to Claire McMahon-Brocklyn Thornston (Clark Fork sophomores)
Won 6-0, 6-1 over Nicole Smith-Alicia Lothspeich (Grangeville senior-junior)
Lost 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 to Lauren Farmer-Karli Farmer (Fruitland juniors)
Morgan Atkinson-Gabi Perenchio (CS sophomore, 1-2)
Bye
Lost 6-3, 6-1 to Tanna Pettit-Erin Tolman (Weiser juniors)
Won 6-2, 6-2 over Celene Nino-Rachelle Geise (Gooding sophomores)
Lost 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 to Erica Nichols-Rilee Brixey (Parma junior-sophomore)
Mixed doubles
Championship—Nathan Nielsen-Alli Nielsen (Parma seniors) 6-0, 6-0 over Pedro Nunez-Jami Farmer (Fruitland senior-junior)
Third place—Will Brokaw-Ricki Eshman (CS sophomore-senior) 6-0, 6-1 over Iniguez-Jones (Fruitland)
Summary: CS 7-3 match record, 16 points MD
Local players
Will Brokaw-Ricki Eshman (CS sophomore-senior, 5-1)
Bye
Won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 over Victor Walker-Kandice Daniels (Clark Fork seniors)
Lost 6-1, 6-0 to Nathan Nielsen-Alli Nielsen (Parma seniors)
Won 6-2, 6-3 over Cyrus Bowlin-Julianna Satterly (CDA Charter junior-senior)
Won 6-1, 6-0 over Drew Blint-Camille Tosten (Grangeville junior-senior)
Won 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2) over Samuel Knickerbocker-Melanie Loya (Parma senior-junior)
Won 6-0, 6-1 over Iniguez-Jones (Fruitland)—third place
Torin Tucker-Melissa Becker (CS seniors, 2-2)
Bye
Lost 6-2, 6-3 to Samuel Knickerbocker-Melanie Loya (Parma senior-junior)
Won 6-1, 7-6 (8-6) over Victor Walker-Kandice Daniels (Clark Fork seniors)
Won 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 over Devin Soelberg-Kaley King (Payette freshman-sophomore)
Lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Iniguez-Jones (Fruitland)
History
State team championships (42nd time):
2010 (3A)—Community School (boys) and Parma (girls)
2009 (3A)—Community School (boys) and Parma (girls)
2008 (3A)—Parma (boys) and Parma (girls)
2007 (3A)—Parma
2006 (3A)—Community School
2005 (3A)—Community School
2004 (3A)—Community School
2003 (3A)—Homedale
2002 (3A)—Community School. 2001 (A-2)—Community School.
1998-2000 (Class B)—Bishop Kelly. 1997—Jerome.
1996—Homedale. 1995—Bishop Kelly. 1993-94—Parma. 1992—Jerome.
1991—Parma. 1989-90—Jerome. 1988—Wood River. 1987—Vallivue.
1986—Wood River. 1985—Jerome. 1983-84—Bishop Kelly. 1982—Wood River.
1981—Gooding. 1975-80—Bishop Kelly. 1973-74—Payette. 1972—Bishop Kelly.
1971—Parma. 1970—Parma and Jerome. 1968-69—Parma.
Number of state team titles—Bishop Kelly 17 overall, Parma 12, Community School 7, Jerome 6, Wood River 4, Payette 2, Homedale 2, Gooding 1, Vallivue 1.
This was Community School's 27th year fielding a team, and 26th to state.
State titlists (20—12 S, 8 D):
2008—Cody Curran and Marin Shepardson GD.
2006—Wes Flanigan and Christian Cairncross BD.
2006—Max Sabel and Jessie Curran MD.
2005—Tyler Martin BS.
2005—Devon Bunce and Mandy Alexander GD.
2005—Wes Flanigan and Christian Cairncross BD.
2004—Tyler Martin BS.
2004—Luke Fostvedt and Mandy Alexander MD.
2003—Joel Evans BS.
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002—Lauren Drew GS.
2001, 2002—Ryan Drew BS.
2002—Joel Evans and Luke Fostvedt BD.
1997—Chancey Martin BS. 1992—Amy Stuhlberg and Adam Saphier MD.
1986—Tory Thornton GS. 1985—John Jacoby BS.
