Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Morenci top seed Tristan Burk assures a return by keeping his eye on the ball. The Morenci junior is 3-5 in singles and along with two different partners, 4-4 in doubles. Willcox host Safford on Monday, April 8; Morenci visits Safford and Benson visits Thatcher on Tuesday, April 9; Benson visits Thatcher and Duncan visits Thatcher on Thursday, April 11; and Morenci hosts Tombstone on Friday, April 12.
Eagles perched atop state rankings, section standings
By Raymundo Frasquillo
WILLCOX – The Mike Kauffman-coached No. 19 Willcox Cowboys welcome the No. 11 Safford Bulldogs on Monday, April 8.
The Katie Jones-coached Bulldogs are second and Willcox third in the Section I standings following the results of April 4 pairings.
Currently, eight more section matches remain as the week begins, five this week (April 8-13), and three the following week (April 15-20). Benson and Thatcher have three section matches left; and Duncan, Morenci, Pima, and Safford have two section matches left.
Other section matches this week include Benson at Thatcher and Morenci at Safford on Tuesday, April 9; Duncan at Thatcher and Benson at Pima on Thursday, April 1.
Non-section matches have Morenci hosting Tombstone on Friday, April 12.
The remaining section matches include Thatcher at Safford, Benson at Duncan, and Morenci at Pima on April 16. Non-section pairings are Safford at Tucson Sabino on April 15, Willcox hosting Globe on April 16 and Pima hosting Globe on April 17.
Division III – Section I standings
The standings through April 5 are Thatcher (10-0 seeding, 3-0 section) first, Safford (7-2, 3-0) second, Willcox (7-4, 4-1) third, Morenci (3-7, 2-2) fourth, Pima (3-7, 1-3) fifth, Benson (3-6, 0-3) sixth, and Duncan (0-10, 0-4) seventh.
Division III State Rankings
The Division III State Top 16 Rankings at noon on April 5 were Thatcher (9-0 seeding, 17.9166 rating) No. 1, Anthem Prep (7-0, 14.0180) No. 2, Phoenix Country Day School (5-0, 13.0855) No. 3, Tucson Tanque Verde (6-2, 10.8075) No. 4, Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic (8-1, 9.5893) No. 5, Scottsdale Prep (7-2, 9.5822) No. 6, Tucson’s The Gregory School (8-1, 9.0305) No. 7, and Glendale Prep (6-1, 8.5899) No. 8.
Yuma Catholic (3-1, 7.6653) was No. 9, Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (7-3, 7.3797) No. 10, Safford (7-2, 6.4267) No. 11, Gilbert Classical (4-2, 5.7047) No. 12, Chandler Prep (5-2, 4.7728) No. 13, Tucson Sabino (5-2, 4.4826) No. 14, Patagonia (4-0, 4.3271) No. 15, and Saint David (6-2, 4.2341) No. 16.
No. 1 Thatcher (10-0 seeding, 17.9166 rating)
Thatcher (3-0) has section wins over Pima (9-0, March 28), Morenci (9-0, April 2), and Willcox (9-0, April 4). The Chris Cook-coached No. 1 Eagles are 49-5 (90-15 sets) in singles and 26-1 in doubles. Six singles pairings and three doubles were not played.
Individually, senior Gene Huish is 7-2 (13-5 sets), sophomore Braden Huish 8-1 (16-2 sets), junior Eli McNeil 7-2 (13-5 sets), sophomore Isaac Palmer 9-0 (16-1 sets), senior Brock Smith 9-0 (16-1 sets), junior Bryson Scorse 8-0 (14-1 sets), and junior Luke Allen 1-0 (2-0 sets),
In doubles, Huish – Huish 9-0, Palmer – Smith 8-1, McNeil – Scorse 8-0, and McNeil – Allen 1-0.
No. 11 Safford (7-2 seeding, 6.4267 rating)
Safford (3-0) has section wins over Benson (9-0, March 28), Duncan (9-0, April 2), and Pima (9-0, April 4). The Katie Jones-coached No. 11 Bulldogs are 39-15 (68-30 sets) in singles and 20-7 in doubles. The records include nine forfeit wins, six in singles and three in doubles
Individually, junior Camden Montierth is 5-3 (10-6 sets), senior Kody Gluyas 5-2 (9-4 sets), junior Bo Bowman 5-2 (10-4 sets), senior Thomas Biggs 7-2 (12-4 sets), junior Xavier Owens 6-3 (10-6 sets), junior Owen Price 4-1 (6-2 sets), senior Brayden Bowman 2-1 (4-2 sets), junior Zane Robinson 2-0 (3-0 sets), and senior Carter Bills 3-1 (4-2 sets).
In doubles, Montierth – Gluyas is 6-2, Biggs – Owens 4-1, Bo Bowman – Bills 2-1, Montierth – Robinson 1-0, Bo Bowman – Price 2-1, Bo Bowman – Owens 0-1, Biggs – Price 0-1, Biggs – Brayden Bowman 2-1, Owens – Price 1-0, and Price – Bills 1-0.
No. 19 Willcox (7-4 seeding, 1.7247 rating)
Willcox (4-1) has section wins over Duncan (9-0, March 7), Pima (9-0, March 26), Morenci (9-0, March 28), and Benson (8-1, April 2). The Mike Kauffman-coached No. 19 Cowboys are 45-21 (51-37 sets) in singles and 24-9 in doubles. The records include 18 forfeit wins, 11 in singles and seven in doubles.
Individually, junior Nathaniel Aguilar is 7-4 (8-7 sets), junior Keanu Ramil 7-4 (8-7 sets), senior Lane Whetten 8-1 (9-2 sets), junior Elijah Bhasme 6-4 (7-7 sets), junior Andy Osomio 6-4 (6-6 sets), junior Kyle McClaine 8-3 (9-6 sets), freshman J.D. Whetten 2-0 (3-0 sets), and junior Luke Perolino 1-1 (1-2 sets).
In doubles, Aguilar – Osomio is 7-3, Ramil – Bhasme 7-2, Lane Whetten – McClain 4-1, Whetten – Whetten 4-0, Aguilar – Bhasme 0-1, Ramil – McClaine 1-1, and McClaine – Perolino 1-1.
No. 32 Morenci (3-7 seeding, minus 4.7182 rating)
Morenci (2-2) has section wins over Benson (6-3, April 3), and Duncan (7-0, April 4). The Brenda Street-coached Wildcats are 18-29 (18-37 sets) in singles and 9-11 in doubles. A total of 19 forfeits were yielded, 11 singles and eight doubles, as well as two double forfeits, one each in singles and two doubles.
Individually, junior Tristan Burke is 3-5 (3-5 sets), senior Andrew McCallum 3-7 (3-9 sets), senior Jakob Camacho 5-5 (5-7 sets), senior Derik Jones 4-5 (4-7 sets), and freshman Jayden Cueto 3-7 (3-9 sets).
In doubles, McCallum – Camacho 5-3, Burke – Jones is 4-3, McCallum – Jones 0-2, Camacho – Cueto 0-2, and Burke – Cueto 0-1.
No. 33 Benson (3-6 seeding, minus 5.7866 rating)
The Julie Christensen-coached Benson Bobcats (0-3) are 19-35 (29-60 sets) in singles and 7-20 in doubles. The marks include five forfeit wins, four in singles, and one in doubles.
Individually, junior Matt Volker is 5-4 (6-8 sets), junior Jonathan Woodward 4-5 (7-8 sets), junior Nathan Bullock 2-7 (3-12 sets), sophomore Ely Little 2-5 (2-9 sets), sophomore Kane Murray 2-6 (3-10 sets), freshman Casey Acuna 3-5 (4-8 sets), sophomore Isaac Garcia 1-1 (1-2 sets), sophomore Cody Miller 0-1 (0-2 sets), and freshman Samuel Preston 0-1 (0-1 sets).
In doubles, Volker – Woodward is 3-5, Bullock – Murray 0-5, Garcia – Preston 1-3, Volker – Bullock 0-1, Bullock – Little 1-2, Woodward – Little 0-1, Acuna – Preston 1-1, Murray – Garcia 0-1, Acuna – Garcia 1-0, and Acuna – Little 0-1.
No. 30 Pima (3-7 seeding, minus 3.7289 rating)
Pima (1-3) has a section win over Duncan (8-1, March 12). The Torrie Baldwin-coached Roughriders are 16-44 (24-83) in singles and 8-22 in doubles. The records include 13 forfeit wins, nine in singles and four in doubles.
Individually, sophomore Garth Lunt is 2-6 (5-11 sets), sophomore Jackson Paul 3-7 (4-14 sets), freshman Colt Lunt 2-8 (3-15 sets), sophomore Kyler Reed 3-6 (4-11 sets), junior Mac Bryce 2-6 (3-11 sets), freshman Eli Rogers 3-7 (4-13 sets), freshman Oliver McCray 1-3 (1-6 sets), and freshman Logan McCray 0-1 (0-2 sets).
In doubles, Garth Lunt – Reed is 2-1, Reed – Bryce 1-3, Colt Lunt – Rogers 2-7, Garth Lunt – Paul 0-4, Lunt – Lunt 1-0, Bryce – Paul 1-3, Paul – Oliver McCray 1-0, Paul – Rogers 0-1, Reed – Oliver McCray 0-2, and McCray – McCray 0-1.
No. 42 Duncan (0-10 seeding, minus 14.7747 rating)
The Shannon Kempton-coached Duncan Wildkats (0-3) are 2-16 (5-23 sets) in singles and 1-7 in doubles numbering two student-athletes. A total of 64 matches could not be played, 42 singles and 22 doubles matches, for lack of personnel. The records include 60 forfeits (40 singles, 20 doubles) and four double forfeits or a competitor unavailable for either team.
Individually, senior Ezekiel Cauthen is 0-10 (0-17 sets), and junior Tim Lunt is 2-6 (5-8 sets). The pair is 1-7 in doubles.
Morenci – 7, Duncan – 0
The host Wildcats took three head-to-head pairings from the visiting Wildkats plus received forfeits for three singles and a doubles.
Tristan Burke shut out Ezekiel Cauthen 8-0 and Derik Jones defeated Tim Lunt 8-3. Andrew McCallum, Jakob Camacho, and Jayden Cueto received forfeits.
In doubles, McCallum – Camacho blanked Cauthen – Lunt 8-0.
Thatcher – 9, Willcox – 0
The visiting Eagles shut out the host Cowboys, taking all six singles and three doubles.
Gene Huish, Braden Huish, Eli McNeil, Isaac Palmer, Brock Smith, and Bryson Scorse defeated Nathaniel Aguilar (6-0, 6-1), Keanu Ramil (6-0 twice), Lane Whetten (6-1 twice), Elijah Bhasme (6-1, 6-0), Andy Osomio (6-1, 6-0), and Kyle McClaine (6-2, 6-0), respectively.
In doubles, Huish – Huish, Palmer – Smith, and McNeil – Scorse downed Aguilar – Osomio (8-2), Ramil – Bhasme (8-1), and Whetten – McClaine (8-5), respectively.
Safford – 9, Pima – 0
The host Bulldogs swept the visiting Roughriders, posting wins in all nine pairings.
Camden Montierth, Kody Gluyas, Thomas Biggs, Xavier Owens, Carter Bills, and Owen Price defeated Garth Lunt (8-0), Jackson Paul (8-1), Colt Lunt (8-0), Kyler Reed (8-4), Mac Bryce (8-5), Eli Rogers (8-2), respectively.
In doubles, Montierth – Gluyas, Biggs – Owens, and Price – Bills downed Garth Lunt – Paul, Reed – McBryce, and Colt Lunt – Rogers, respectively by identical 8-1 scores.
Patagonia – 6, Benson – 3
The host Bobcats won six head-to-head pairings from the visiting Lobos, five singles and a doubles.
Matt Volker, Jonathan Woodward, Nathan Bullock, Ely Little, and Kane Murray defeated sophomore Jaxon Islava (6-2, 6-4), senior William Botz (9-8), sophomore Skylar Sanchez (8-6), freshman Luis Reyes (8-5), and sophomore Adahir Ayon (8-3), respectively.
In doubles, Bullack – Murray downed Sanchez – Reyes 8-2.
For Patagonia, senior Dante Nelson defeated Casey Acuna 8-6, and the Islava – Botz duo edged Volker – Woodward 9-8 and Nelson – Ayon blanked Garcia – Preston 8-0.
