By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
The state playoffs for team tennis started this week, and East Valley Class 4A, 5A and 6A programs are battling to keep their shortened seasons going. The bi-district round was scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
The District 32-6A champion Harlingen High Cardinals continued to roll when they faced Edinburg Vela in a bi-district match Tuesday. The Cardinals were scheduled to play the Sabercats on the road, but the location was swapped late Monday to Harlingen after a positive COVID-19 test caused Vela to cancel home events.
Harlingen High defeated Edinburg Vela 18-1 to advance to the area round. The Cardinals will face San Antonio O’Connor at 10 a.m. Friday at the H-E-B Tennis Center in Corpus Christi. Cardinals coach James Tanamachi said the girls went 9-0 in the bi-district round, winning some close matches in a “good confidence boost going into the next round.” Tanamachi said the only loss was a close No. 2 boys doubles match.
Harlingen South, the 32-6A runner-up, defeated Edinburg Economedes 12-0 on Monday. The Hawks will play Northside Health Careers at 11 a.m. Friday at the Al Kruse Tennis Center in Corpus Christi. Los Fresnos finished third in the district and defeated Edinburg High 10-4 on Monday to set up an area-round match Friday against Laredo United set for 10:30 a.m. in Roma.
The San Benito Greyhounds lost 10-6 to Edinburg North. San Benito slid into the fourth playoff spot after Weslaco ISD put Weslaco High athletics on hold due to positive COVID-19 tests. The Greyhounds finished fifth at the district meet, and coach Imelda Cavazos was proud of her team for taking advantage of the unusual opportunity and challenging the District 31-6A champion Cougars.
Brownsville Porter won its first District 32-5A team tennis title in school history this season. The Cowboys and Cowgirls faced McAllen Rowe in the bi-district round Tuesday and lost 10-1, but the season remains one to remember.
“(The bi-district match) didn’t go quite the way we wanted it to, but it was an experience for these athletes, especially the young ones,” Porter coach Jaime Guillen said. “We had a great season. Like I told the kids, ‘Hey, you put yourself in Porter history as the first team to capture a district title.’ I’m very proud of that and these young kids who have been very dedicated.”
Brownsville Veterans Memorial advanced to the playoffs as 32-5A’s fourth seed to face McAllen Memorial on Tuesday. The Chargers lost to the Mustangs, 10-0.
La Feria clinched another District 32-4A team tennis title and received a first-round bye. The Lions will battle Hondo on Thursday in Beeville in the area round.
Port Isabel was the 32-4A runner-up, and the bracket had the Tarpons facing 31-4A Hidalgo in the bi-district round, but the Pirates didn’t have enough players to be eligible to compete. Port Isabel will face Uvalde in the area round at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Calallen.