DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
After winning the regional mixed doubles tennis championship last month, Sharyland High’s Sebastian Arizola and Emilia Ramos changed the way they played the game.
Ramos, who had played exclusively on the right side of the court all season, suggested she move to the left side.
“I feel I’m better on the left side, and that worked so much better,” Ramos said. “My left hand is better than my right hand. So we switched and the practices went really well.”
The result was a UIL Class 5A state championship on Tuesday as Arizola and Ramos bested Texarkana’s Aubree Cramer and Cullen Schoen, 6-2, 6-2, at Texas A&M University in College Station. Though the pair was playing its first season as a team, Arizola and Ramos, both seniors, swept two of their three state matches.
“We got here with the mindset we’d do whatever it takes to win,” Arizola said. “We were focused and we knew all we had to do was execute. We trust each other. We know each other will do their part and we won.”
Arizola and Ramos beat Grapevine’s Kali Hamilton and Calum Robe, 6-3, 6-1, in the quarterfinals before topping College Station A&M Consolidated’s Tory Templin and Lily Taylor, 6-4, 5-6, 6-4 in the semifinals on Monday.
“We were playing against Consolidated and they had the whole team and it seemed like half the school there cheering them on,” Sharyland coach Yvette Vela said. “It was a crazy atmosphere. Intense. But we worked through it and the kids fought and they pulled through. I’m just so proud of them.”
This was the second state appearance for Arizola, who competed in boys doubles with Carlos Ramones last year. This was Ramos’ first appearance at state.
“We knew this was a good opportunity to show what the Valley has,” Ramos said. “We were in the state of mind to do anything to win. We gave everything we had.”
In the championship match, everything went Sharyland High’s way. Arizola and Ramos were hardly threatened and were confident coming off the big semifinal win against the hometown A&M Consolidated duo.
“We started strong and we finished strong,” Arizola said. “From the start, we were putting everything away and creating points. Everything was working for us. Our game plan was to attack the net and attack their girl, and we were just aggressive. All of our shots were going and whatever we wanted to do, we did.”
The game seemed to come easy to Arizola and Ramos this week, something they credited to moving Ramos from right to left.
“It was very important,” Ramos said. “On the left side, it’s easier for me to get in and easier to catch balls. In the back, it’s easier for me to hit crosscourt with my backhand. It made a huge difference.”
The state championship is believed to be the first for Sharyland High’s tennis program.
In the Class 5A boys singles finals, Sharyland Pioneer’s Joaquin Delgado fell to Everman’s Angel Palacios, 6-0, 6-0.
“I started off slow,” Delgado said. “I gave my all, but I could have played better. He had a great groundstroke, made very few errors and he was very consistent.”
Delgado, a junior, defeated A&M Consolidated’s Chad Nguyen, 7-6(6), 6-3, in the quarterfinals and McKinney North’s Jordan Brewer 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the semifinals. It was a successful rebound year for Delgado, who had his sophomore season cut short during district play after re-aggravating a stress fracture in his foot.
“I was really motivated for this year,” said Delgado, who said he will work to improve his serve during the offseason. “Winning state was the goal. I felt like I really matured as a player and in effort. I just learned I have to start off strong in every match. I have to give it my all each and every match, and that’s about being strong mentally and physically. I’m going to be better.”
Sharyland Pioneer’s boys doubles team of Stevan Guarneri and Gabriel Martin won their Class 5A quarterfinals match against McKinney North, 7-6(5), 6-3, before falling in the semifinals against College Station’s Rohen Sukkawala and Kyle Miller, 6-1, 6-2.
McAllen Memorial’s Jack Wang, a junior, lost his Class 6A state quarterfinals match to Southlake Carroll’s Arman Dave, 6-1, 6-0, on Monday.
The Mustangs’ boys doubles team of brothers Alan and Daniel Magadan won its quarterfinal match against Katy Seven Lakes, 6-1, 6(4)-7, 6-4 on Monday before falling in the semifinals to Southlake Carroll’s Matt Landers and Alec Reusche, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 later that afternoon.