The UIL tennis Region IV-5A boys singles championship match featured two of District 31-5A’s own squaring off for gold Wednesday at North East ISD Tennis Center in San Antonio.
Sharyland High’s Alan Gonzalez defeated McAllen Memorial’s Agustin Salazar, the defending regional champ, 7-5, 6-4 for a first-place finish in boys singles, earning a spot at the UIL Class 5A state meet April 26-27 at Northside ISD Tennis Center in San Antonio.
“I wouldn’t be able to pull this off without the team support, without our coaches and teammates, so it’s a really good win and part of the process,” he said.
Gonzalez’s march to the regional title included Day 1 wins over Alamo Heights’ Ari Patel 6-0, 6-0 and Corpus Christi Veterans’ Lleyton Davidson 6-0, 6-0. He then beat Georgetown’s Zach Miller 6-0, 6-0, before meeting Memorial’s Salazar in the championship match. The familiar District 31-5A foes delivered a back-and-forth affair that ended with Gonzalez on top, 7-5, 6-4. Gonzalez and Salazar also squared off in the District 31-5A boys singles championship match March 30.
“It demonstrates the level of tennis that we have here in the Valley. It was an honor to share the court with a friend,” Gonzalez said of competing against Salazar in the finals. “He’s a tough opponent and has a great serve. He kept his serve and I was keeping my serve too. It was a mental game. You have to have a cold mind and be confident in what you’re doing.”
Memorial’s Salazar bounced back from the championship match loss to defeat Miller 6-3, 6-1, in a playback match to earn his spot at the state meet in two weeks. Salazar won four matches over the two days, beating Dripping Springs’ Trey Pleasant 6-0, 6-1, San Antonio Jefferson’s Miguel Otero 6-0, 6-0 and Gregory-Portland’s David Avalos 6-1, 6-1.
Salazar will be joined at state by a Mustangs boys doubles team of Ishaan Ramchandani and Diego Salvo. The Memorial duo won both of their Day 1 matchups, defeating San Antonio Legacy’s Brandon Cortez and Isaac Gutierrez and Gregory-Portland’s Kadon Howard and Dale Loveland 6-1, 6-1.
On Day 2, Ramchandani and Salvo lost their semifinal match against eventual regional champions Brayden Effler and Roan Erwin of Alamo Heights. Ramchandani and Salvo then turned around and won their third-place match 6-3, 6-3 over Sharyland High’s Koen Aggarao and Fredrich Buquel, and took down Alamo Heights’ Balin Patel and Noah Sutin in a playback match to earn second place and qualify for the state meet.
| McAllen Memorial’s Diego Salvo (left center), Ishaan Ramchandani (center) and Agustin Salazar (right center) qualified for the UIL Class 5A State Tennis Meet later this month. Courtesy Photo |
Sharyland’s mixed doubles team of Monica Castellanos and Abiel Peña advanced to the semifinals in their bracket, but fell against Dripping Springs duo Lexian Andrushko and Whitney Robbins 6-2, 6-2, who went on to finish first in mixed doubles. Castellanos and Peña then dropped a third-place match against Corpus Christi Flour Bluff’s Xavier Cristan and Lauren Hill.
Sharyland boys doubles duo of Aggarao and Buquel also lost their semifinal matchup against Alamo Heights’ Patel and Sutin. The Rattlers’ boys doubles team finished 2-2 at regionals.