Harlingen High was at it early in the mornings last week to beat the heat and, the Cardinals are hoping, end a 30-year drought without winning both the boys and girls team tennis district titles.
High school tennis is back after a summer hiatus, even though the players keep working with their allotted time at the high school, personal trainers or clubs. High schoolers officially began practice the past two weeks in anticipation of the team season.
Harlingen High head coach James Tanamachi is excited about the team’s prospects. The team is loaded with juniors ready to take over District 32-6A the next two years.
“We definitely want to get the girls title,” junior Julia Pearcy said. “We have not won that in 16 years, so we want to get that girls title and break that streak.”
Pearcy, Naomi Macmanus and Ashlynn Burns, all juniors, will be instrumental in capturing the district title.
“Since we lost a lot of seniors and most of us are juniors, we know that we are going to have to step up,” Macmanus said. “We know we have to be the role models for the underclassmen, we are just trying to be the best leaders we can be.”
Stranton Keath and William Buford, juniors, were one point away from a doubles district championship last March. Buford and Keath are joined by the grandson of the late RGV Sports and Texas Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach Jerry Hirst, junior Charlie Hirst. The junior moved to the Valley after playing for Dallas Rockwall High last season.
“I have heard stories, a bunch of stories, of my dad, grandpa, aunts and uncles, a lot of my family has played on these tennis courts the last half century,” Charlie Hirst said. “So, for me to do it is surreal, it does not feel real, it feels like a dream.”
Harlingen High will have tough competition from Brownsville Hanna, Los Fresnos and Weslaco High now that Harlingen South has moved to District 32-5A.
The Cardinals opened their season with a 19-0 win against Port Isabel.
In team tennis, 19 matches are played. Doubles are played first, three boys and girls doubles will match up, as well as a mixed doubles match that is comprised of athletes not playing in doubles. Then the top six boys and girls will play until 10 points is reached.
The South Hawks are primed for another district championship. Donna High, Edcouch-Elsa, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Brownsville Porter all made it to the team tennis playoffs last season, but were all bounced by District 31-5A in the first round.
McAllen Memorial knows it will have to be great to knock Sharyland High off the top of District 31-5A. The Rattlers return Alan Gonzalez, the defending regional champion. Sharyland High made it to the regional semifinals a year ago in team tennis.
The Lady Mustangs also will be ready to give it a shot.
“We have a lot to learn from one another,” junior Mia Rodriguez said. “We know our competition, Sharyland, McAllen High and Rowe, but we know that it is a mental game more than anything.”
The Mustangs are still young, like Harlingen High. Rodriguez is joined by fellow junior Renata Barreto and sophomore Dania Casas as the top three. Casas will be the No. 1 girl for McAllen Memorial.
“It is kind of stressful,” Casas said. “But it feels good. I am hoping that I can do a lot better than I did last year.”
Harlingen South and McAllen Memorial will play Tuesday in what could be a playoff preview. It will be a good measurement for both teams.
Sharyland High, Sharyland Pioneer and PSJA Memorial joined McAllen Memorial in the playoffs last season from District 31-5A.
Edinburg High, Edinburg North, PSJA High and PSJA North made the playoffs from District 31-6A last year.
In Class 4A, La Feria will look to defend its district title against Port Isabel, Rio Hondo and Weslaco IDEA Pike. Raymondville takes on Hidalgo, Grulla, Zapata and Edinburg IDEA Quest. The Bearkats finished second in District 31-4A.
