Palmer – Huish duo earns state championship
By Raymundo Frasquillo
THATCHER – The Chris Cook-coached No. 3 Thatcher Eagles (13-1 seeding, 19.5321 rating) host the No. 6 Justin Quick-coached Florence Gophers (13-1, 13.0953) on Wednesday, May 6. It is for the state team tourney quarterfinals.
Thatcher has been the state finalists five times under Cook, champions in 2012 (19-0), 2014 (17-0), 2016 (18-0), 2024 (18-0), as well as runners-up in 2011 and 2023 (17-1).
During the same span, singles champions have been Brandon McMaster in 2011, and doubles champions Nathan McMaster – Reed Goodman in 2013-14, Dallin Cook – Logan McMaster in 2016-17, along with runners-up Brandon McMaster in 2010, Brandon McMaster – Ethan Bryce in 2012, Tyler Bierman – Michael Greer in 2019, and Braden Huish – Gene Huish in 2024.
The individual tourneys beginning on May 1 had 15 Section I entrants numbering 17, two Thatcher singles (1-2), two Pima singles (0-2), and a Duncan singles (1-1), along with two Thatcher doubles (4-1), two Pima doubles (0-2), and a Safford doubles (0-1).
Seeding matches resulted in the Chris Cook-coached No. 3 Thatcher Eagles (13-1, 19.5321 rating) going 75-9 in singles and 37-5 in doubles; the Brooke Bingham-coached No. 10 Pima Roughriders (11-1, 9.1553 rating) going 62-10 in singles and 29-7 in doubles; the Katie Jones-coached No. 18 Safford Bulldogs (9-6, 1.3806 rating) going 46-44 in singles and 23-22 in doubles; and the Shannon Kempton-coached No. 46 Duncan Wildkats (0-13, minus 19.5459 rating) going 14-21 in singles and 9-15 in doubles.
Division III State Team Tourney Quarterfinals (May 6)
The quarterfinals at the higher seeds on May 6 have No. 1 Tucson Pusch Ridge (12-0 seeding, 24.9673 rating) hosting No. 8 Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic (10-3, 9.6746) and No. 4 Phoenix Country Day School (11-1, 15.9007) hosting No. 5 Tucson’s The Gregory School (11-2, 14.3893) in the upper bracket.
The lower bracket has No. 3 Thatcher (13-1, 19.5321) hosting No. 6 Florence (13-1, 13.0953) and No. 2 Waddell American Leadership – West Foothills (10-0, 22.0376) hosting No. 7 Tucson Sabino (10-3, 12.5622).
Division III State Singles Tourney Round 1 (May 4)
Top-seeded Gilbert Classical sophomore Ayden Thielson defeated third-ranked Pusch Ridge sophomore Dean Morthland (6-3, 6-1) for the title at the Glendale Paseo Racquet Center.
Thielson (5-0) defeated Waddell American Leadership – West Foothills junior Brendon Kurzawski (6-0 twice) in the first round and Pusch Ridge junior Christian Skinner (6-0 twice) in the second round on May 1, and No. 8 The Gregory School senior Anthi Christoforidis (6-1 twice) in the quarterfinals and No. 5 Tanque Verde senior Karl Gajda (6-0 twice) in the semifinals on May 2.
Morthland (4-1) defeated Flagstaff Basis sophomore Karis Lee (6-1, 6-0) in the first round and Duncan sophomore Jared Kempton (6-1, 6-0) in the second round, and Yuma Catholic junior Marco Gutierrez (6-1, 6-0) in the quarterfinals and No. 2 ALA – West Foothills senior Gian Marrero (6-3, 6-0) in the semifinals.
Duncan sophomore Jared Kempton (1-1) ousted Pima junior Colt Lunt (6-1, 6-0) in the first round and fell to No. 3 Pusch Ridge sophomore Dean Morthland (6-1, 6-0); Thatcher sophomore Jackson Smith (1-1) eliminated Florence junior Alfred Zaklit (4-6, 6-4, 12-10) in the first round and fell to No. 7 Tanque Verde junior Jon Hetland (6-0 twice) in the second round;
First round exits were made by Thatcher junior Jacob Reed (0-1) to No. 8 The Gregory School senior Anthi Christoforidis (6-0 twice); Pima junior Eli Rogers (0-1) to Yuma Catholic senior Austin Obika (6-1, 6-0); Pima junior Colt Lunt (0-1) to Duncan sophomore Jared Kempton (6-4, 7-5).
Division III State Doubles Tourney Round 1 (May 4)
Third-ranked Thatcher seniors Isaac Palmer and Braden Huis defeated No. 4 ALA – West Foothills senior Ryan Nicholl and sophomore Drake Mills (6-3 twice) for the title.
Palmer – Huish (5-0) defeated Buckeye Odyssey Institute juniors Owen Elledge – Lukas Kunz (6-0 twice) in the first round and Chandler Prep senior Thomas Richey – freshman Gavin Mancebo (6-1, 6-2) in the second round, and No. 6 Saint David seniors Ricky Blachly Jaxon Savage (6-1, 6-0) in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Pusch Ridge senior Lukas Herndon – junior Nick Herndon (6-4, 6-1) in the semifinals.
Nicholl – Mills (4-1) defeated Pima seniors Jackson Paull – Jimmy Smith (6-0 twice) in the first round and Pusch Ridge seniors Aviel Arellano – Cody Urias (6-2, 6-0) in the second round, and No. 6 No. 6 Saint David seniors Ricky Blachly Jaxon Savage (6-1, 6-0) in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Sabino senior David Gonzalez – junior Adam Olsen (6-3, 3-6, 10-8) in the semifinals.
First round exits were made by No. 8 Thatcher senior Topher Rubalcava – Ranan Rubalcava (0-1) to Anthem Prep sophomores Benjamin Young – Austin Simons (6-4, 6-3); Pima seniors Jackson Paull – Jimmy Smith (0-1) to No. 4 ALA – West Foothills senior Ryan Nicholl – sophomore Drake Mills (6-0 twice); Pima senior Garth Lunt – junior Kyler Reed (0-1) to No. 6 Saint David seniors Ricky Blachly Jaxon Savage (6-2 twice); Safford sophomores Lucas Lackner – Trae Gaines (0-1) to No. 7 Scottsdale Prep seniors Jack Lundstrom – Kellen Palmer (6-2, 6-0).
Division III State Team Tourney First Round (April 29)
The first round results had each of the higher seeds advancing on April 29.
It was No. 1 Pusch Ridge 6-0 over No. 16 Tucson Tanque Verde (7-6, 4.6781), No. 8 Saint John Paul II 5-4 over No. 9 Glendale Prep (10-4, 9.1904), No. 5 The Gregory School 6-0 over No.12 Scottsdale Prep (9-3, 7.3130), and No. 4 Phoenix Country Day 5-1 over No. 13 Saint David (8-2, 7.0716) in the upper bracket.
The lower bracket had No. 3 Thatcher 6-0 over No. 14 Chandler Prep (8-3, 6.0715), No. 6 Florence 6-3 over No. 11 Scottsdale Christian (8-2, 8.5169), No. 7 Sabino 5-0 over No. 10 Pima (11-1, 9.1553), and No. 2 ALA – West Foothills (10-0, 22.0376) 5-0 over No. 15 Gilbert Classical (8-2, 4.9796).
Division III State Rankings
The final statewide rankings as of 7 a.m. on April 23 were Tucson Pusch Ridge (12-0 seeding, 24.9673 rating) was No. 1, Waddell American Leadership – West Foothills (10-0, 22.0376) No. 2, Thatcher (13-1, 19.5321) No. 3, Phoenix Country Day School (11-1, 15.9007) No. 4, Tucson’s The Gregory School (11-2, 14.3893) No. 5, Florence (13-1, 13.0953) No. 6, Tucson Sabino (10-3, 12.5622) No. 7, and Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic (10-3, 9.6746) No. 8.
Glendale Prep (10-4, 9.1904) was No. 9, Pima (11-1, 9.1553) No. 10, Scottsdale Christian (8-2, 8.5169) No. 11, Scottsdale Prep (9-3, 7.3130) No. 12, Saint David (8-2, 7.0716) No. 13, Chandler Prep (8-3, 6.0715) No. 14, Gilbert Classical (8-2, 4.9796) No. 15, and Tucson Tanque Verde (7-6, 4.6781) No. 16.
Division III Section I Standings
The section standing as of April 23 were Thatcher (13-1 seeding, 7-0 section), Pima (11-1, 6-1), Safford (9-6, 5-2), Miami (7-7, 4-3), Benson (5-10, 3-4), Globe (4-7, 2-5), Morenci (3-10, 1-6), and Duncan (0-13, 0-7).
Thatcher was 75-9 in singles and 37-5 in doubles, Pima 62-10 and 29-7, Safford 46-44 and 23-22, Miami 42-42 and 19-23, Benson 30-60 and 14-31, Globe 31-35 and 17-16, Morenci 15-63 and 8-31, and Duncan 14-21 and 9-15.
Twenty-eight section pairings resulted in wins by Thatcher over Globe (9-0, Feb. 26), Morenci (9-0, March 26), Benson (9-0, March 31), Safford (9-0, April 9), Pima (9-0, April 10), Duncan (9-0, April 14), and Miami (9-0, April 16); Pima over Safford (7-2, March 26), Duncan (8-1, March 30), Miami (9-0, April 2), Morenci (9-0, April 14), Benson (9-0, April 16), and Globe (8-1, April 21); Safford over Globe (7-2, March 4), Benson (7-2, April 7), Miami (6-3, April 14), Morenci (7-2, April 16), and Duncan (7-2, April 21); Miami over Globe (7-2, March 10), Morenci (9-0, March 31), Benson (7-2, April 9), and Duncan (7-2, April 20); Benson over Duncan (6-3, March 11), Globe (5-4, March 30), and Morenci (8-1, April 10); Globe over Duncan (7-2, March 26) and Morenci (9-0, April 20); and Morenci over Duncan (6-3, April 9).
