SAN ANTONIO — For the third straight year, the Boerne ISD tennis teams have met in the third round of the playoffs and for the third straight year, the Greyhounds have managed to claim the victory over their cross-town rival.
Champion defeated the Greyhounds during district play, but Boerne won Tuesday’s third-round postseason match at NS Anne Marie Tennis Center, 10-8.
The Greyhounds advanced to the fourth round or regional semis that started Thursday against Gregory-Portland. If BHS won that match, they’ll have played in the regional finals on Friday with a trip to the state tourney on the line against the winner of Alamo Heights and Flour Bluff.
Boerne coach Tyson Stewart said their loss to the Chargers on Sept. 22 in a district match they were leading 5-2 and 9-6 before losing 10-9 provided plenty of motivation.
“As soon as we lost that match, I told the kids, ‘Remember this feeling and from now until we play them in the third round, you’ve got to do everything you can to get over that feeling’ and they took that to heart,” he said. “You don’t want to lose the regular-season match against them, but coming in with a chip on your shoulder works better, it gets the kids motivated.”
Stewart said he feels fortunate to beat the Chargers three years in a row in the playoffs. The Greyhounds lead the all-time series 4-3.
“We fought for every point,” he said. “They’re a heck of a team and to beat them three years in a row in the playoffs is big.”
Champion trailed 4-3 after doubles on Tuesday and was in better shape than they were in their district match after they closed out doubles in that contest trailing 5-2, but the Greyhounds played well in singles on Tuesday and won six of the 12 singles matches as opposed to district when the Chargers won eight of 12 singles matches.
BHS was solid in third-set super tiebreakers and went 4-1 in those matches to help get their 10 wins on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s match was tied 8-8 with three matches left on the courts. Boerne’s Zoe Gonzales won her match at line 3 girls singles in a super tiebreaker and then teammate Caleb Norman closed it out at line 2 boys singles in another super tiebreaker, while there was one other match left on the court that didn’t finish once BHS hit 10 wins.
Chargers coach Kristin Cantu gave the Greyhounds credit for winning the majority of the super tiebreakers.
“It came down to super tiebreakers in singles,” she said. “It was a point here and there; that’s all the difference was.”
Cantu added that it was a great season in her first year leading the team during the fall team tennis season.
“We went 17-3 in my first year and I’m proud of how much they worked and how much effort they put into it,” she said. “It’s been a great year.”
Champion ends its season at 17-3 and BHS improves to 12-4.
Second round
In their second-round matches, both BISD breezed to easy wins.
Champion played Highlands and defeated the Owls, 10-0, in less than two hours at McFarlin Tennis Center.
Boerne High tangled with Medina Valley and pounded the Panthers, 10-1, at the Northside Tennis Center.
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