On March 10, the State High Boys Tennis team took the court for the first time this season, and it had a lot to carry on its shoulders.

“Going into the season, I knew we had a lot of our top players from last year, and we had won district last year, so we knew that this year going into the season, we could do a lot, and we had a lot of potential,” Junior William Liu said.

With high expectations placed on them, it was time to live up to them. “The boys came in ready and eager to start the season. They worked hard in the offseason and every day in season. They accepted and embraced the challenge,” Head Coach Jane Borden said.

In he first match of the season, the Little Lions took a 5-0 sweep against Cedar Cliff. That was only the start of a dominant campaign. Match after match led to sweep after sweep, and 15 matches later, the team found itself holding the District VI championship trophy.

Not only were they able to hoist the trophy high, they also left a mark in history. They had a 16-0 record with a match record of 80-0. Success can oftentimes lead to a loss in focus, but not for this team.

“Our coaches knew that during the regular season, we play a lot of not necessarily bad, but like, average teams that we can kind of cruise through, but they kept us focused and disciplined, so that in the postseason, we could do well and succeed there,” Liu said.

Borden commented that the players were very easy to motivate, but also explained that “baked goods did help sometimes.”

After a dominant regular season, they prepared themselves for the intensity of states. They found themselves in the round of 16, going up against Lancaster.

They lost their perfect match record, but they still came out victorious in a 4-1 rout to advance to the elite eight.

The team looked ahead to its quarterfinal match against the top-seeded Conestoga.

“They were probably expecting a pretty big and easy win, but we gave them a challenge,” Liu said.

While Liu and co. gave them a challenge, State High fell to Conestoga, and its season came to a close. It was a hard loss after such a great season, but there’s much to look forward to.

“I know a lot of people that are coming up. There’s a very good base of talent that’s coming up, so I’m excited about that,” Liu said.

While there are a lot of incoming players, a good amount are staying as well. But as with every year, the seniors have to move on.

“I’ve known a lot of the senior guys since they were in grade school. They have been a pleasure and honor to coach, and we, as a team, will really miss them next year. I know they are all destined for great things in their futures, and we wish them the best of everything as they continue down their path to success,” Borden said.

The State High Boys Tennis Team will look to continue its good fortune and make an even deeper run next season.