By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer
The Hanna Golden Eagles tennis team is the only Brownsville team from District 32-6A to represent the city in the area tournament.
With a 5-2 district record, the Eagles finished in third place behind the first-place Harlingen South Hawks and Harlingen High Cardinals. They ended the regular season ahead of the San Benito Greyhounds.
“We’re very excited to represent not just our district, but getting ready to represent the whole city,” Hanna coach Terry Hoover said. “We’ll put our best foot forward and show some good tennis.”
The opening match will be playedat 9 a.m. Thursday against District 31-6A’s Weslaco High, a team Hoover anticipates his team can beat but one that it can’t take lightly.
“We can’t make a lot of mistakes,” he said. “We’ve played them before, but they’ve improved a whole lot.”
The Eagles have been powered by a strong, senior-laden staff this season. The girls side, led by Marcelle Castillo, Miranda Garzoria and Sandra Zuniga, has been particularly dominant, going 11-2 on the season.
Christian Castillo, also a senior, and Garzoria are focused on their final run at the playoffs in team tennis. They have their sights set on Harlingen High, a team both of them admitted was one they’d like to get revenge on if Hanna were to meet them in the postseason.
Hoover welcomes a different challenge, however. If Hanna is to advance past Weslaco High, one team he feels would give his team the biggest test is Harlingen South.
“They’re ranked in the top 12 in the state,” he said. “We’d have to definitely put our best foot forward. They have some state-ranked players, and it would be a big mountain that we would definitely like to try to scale.”
Last year, Hanna finished the regular season in second place and made it to the second round of the area tournament, where it lost to McAllen Memorial. Hoover likes his chances to end this season on a better note.
“I fell like we’ve got a really good shot,” he said. “We’ve worked really hard to get here, and we’re looking forward to playing.”
Adam Kujawskicovers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.