BOYS TENNIS: Pride back to earth after early season loss to Brophy

Some of the euphoria of beating powerhouse Phoenix Brophy twice last season is starting to wear off for the Mountain Pointe boys tennis team.

Up until last season Mountain Pointe had never beaten Brophy, a constant nemesis for the Pride during the state championship playoffs.

Last season Mountain Pointe beat the Broncos twice; once late in the season and again in semifinals of the state championship, before losing to Tucson Salpointe in the title match.

In this year’s season opener the Broncos were up to their old tricks again beating the Pride, 7-2, in an initiation of the refurbished Mountain Pointe courts.

“It was good for us to play Brophy early in the season because it gives us a good idea of what we have to work on for the season,” Mountain Pointe coach Dan Ray said. “We’ll use that as a motivator.”

During the early part of the season Ray said he will be trying to make sure he has the right players in the right spots.

However, there is no doubt who will be on top of the player ladder for the Pride this year.

Senior Andy Nguyen won the state individual singles championship last season and is the keystone and leader of the Pride team this year.

“Andy is a quiet leader but everyone looks up to him because he has a great work ethic and is a good role model,” Ray added.

Ken Zhu will likely be in the No. 2 spot followed by Brandon Tse.

“Everyone is going to have to improve and I may have to actually have to coach this year,” Ray quipped.

For the first time in three seasons, he is physically fit enough to get on the court and hit with his team. A ruptured disc in his back and foot surgery last season had Ray on the sidelines.

“We’ll have to use all the resources we have and I’m going to have to put in the time on the court to figure out who is going to be our fifth and sixth player over the next couple of months,“ Ray added.

The Pride were at a disadvantage during tryouts and preseason practice when they had to go on the road to the Tempe Kiwanis Tennis Center while the courts were being resurfaced.

“Actually,” Ray said, “it was a blessing in disguise. It was difficult while we were doing it, but the Kiwanis people great with us and we had eight to 10 courts a day versus four if we had been at school.”

Ray said he had to make more cuts during tryouts this season than he ever had in the past.

“There is going to be more of a student-teacher ratio and that’s going to be big this year,” he added.

Mountain Pointe earned the second seed in the state tournament last season when it finished as the runner-up.

Ray thinks this season will be tougher for the Pride who were planning on getting more experience this weekend in the annual multiple school Kiwanis Tennis Tournament in Phoenix.

“We’re going to have to earn everything this year,” Ray said.