After a 5-14 loss to Sterling in the second round of Area playoffs, the team’s fall season came to an end. Through injuries and heat, the team prevailed to have another strong season. 

The team was able to its their third straight district title, going undefeated in district (6-0) and finishing with an overall record of 9-5. Senior Santi Santiago was named the boys district MVP and junior Izzy Sikora was named the girls district MVP.

The team started the season with two major setbacks. The heat was one, as the high temperatures made it extremely difficult for the team to practice or play matches. Many matches were delayed or changed due to the heat, but nonetheless the team pushed through and secured several wins.

“At one point, we had twice as many matches as we had even had practice time on the court,” coach John Macapez said. “There were a lot of little things, but they handled it really well.”

Another major setback was the injury to team captain Andrew Carson. Carson suffered an ankle injury before the season, limiting him during the beginning of the season. He was able to only participate in doubles with Salazar due to the easier workload.

“The injury definitely made it a little bit harder to adapt,” said Carson, who was team captain with senior Olivia Licona. “As the year went on, I kept working on it. I’ve improved a ton since.”

The two number one players for singles were Salazar and Sikora. Both stepped up and had good seasons. Sikora said she is grateful to be able to learn from her teammates and said she felt like they grew as a team.

“A lot of them taught me to be who I am as a person,” Sikora said. “My best friend Olivia, she’s always been there for me.”

Due to finishing number one in the district, the team secured a spot in the playoffs. The players won the first bi-district round against Montgomery, 10-9, in what was a heated match. 

In the end, even with several struggles, the team had a fun and successful fall season.

“We all connected really well this year,” Macapez says. “There’s always love. There’s always love. There’s always respect.”

Postseason Awards

Boys district MVP: Santi Salazar

Girls District MVP: Izzy Sikora

Coach of the Year: John Macapez

1st team All-District: Stephen Borch, Andrew Carson, Olivia Licona, Lola Olivio

2nd team All-District: Cash Bergquist, Charles Meaux, Chloe Houel, Scarlett Perez

Honorable Mentions: Daniel Ascuna, Elizabeth Bicknell, Robert Geiger, Cole Kayfes, Alina Prestwood, Summer Waguespack

All-Academic: Stephen Borch, Andrew Borch, Olivia Licona , Charles Meaux, Lola Olivo, Scarlett Perez, Izzy Sikora