HARLINGEN — Harlingen High and Harlingen South clinched UIL team tennis district titles Saturday. The two meet in the tennis Bird Bowl at 4:30 p.m. today at Harlingen High.
Harlingen High defeated Brownsville Hanna 18-1 to claim the District 32-6A team championship, as well as the boys and girls district titles.
In District 32-6A, there are three titles up for grabs: a team title and titles for girls and boys. Boys and girls each play nine matches in both singles and doubles. The team as a whole plays 19 matches, and a mixed doubles match acts as the odd point.
The Harlingen High girls did not drop a match all season in either doubles or singles, going 45-0. The Lady Cardinals had not won the district title in 17 years and Harlingen High had not won both boys and girls titles in the same year since the 1992-93 season.
“It feels great, the kids worked hard,” Harlingen High head coach James Tanamachi said. “I thought our girls had a chance last year and came up short to Harlingen South, who had a great team, but I thought we still had a chance. They worked hard all summer. That was one of our team goals, and I am happy for them.”
Harlingen High won all six District 32-6A matches against Los Fresnos, Brownsville Rivera, San Benito, Weslaco High and Brownsville Hanna.
Harlingen South only played for one title in District 32-5A, as each district has different rules when dealing with titles.
The Hawks competed in a 10-team district and also went undefeated. Harlingen South beat Weslaco East 19-0 to clinch Saturday.
“I am proud of this team’s grit,” Harlingen South head coach Ernesto Escamilla said. “They are passionate, competitive and have set out to make each other better. I could not ask for anything else as their coach.”
The match today between Harlingen High and Harlingen South will be the last that each team will have before they begin the playoffs.
“Bird Bowl is always competitive from top to bottom,” Escamilla said. “Coach Tanamachi and his staff do a great job getting their team prepared to battle against us. The timing of our match against the Cardinals will help our team get ready for the playoffs.”
The bi-district round of the playoffs begin Monday, Oct. 10 and Tuesday, Oct. 11.
“We are hoping to get past the second round,” Tanamachi said. “I know the Laredo district is really strong, there is a lot of other strong districts with strong teams. We are just going to take it one match at time. Hopefully we will get a good practice match with South, they are always a perennial powerhouse. I think it will be great practice for us and them.”