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Team tennis championships: Academy boys win 22nd-straight title

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As the sun set on another season, the loudspeaker at Jerry Cline Tennis Center crackled to life and for another year, the most dominant sound in New Mexico high school sports casually warbled over the courts:

鈥濃 Congratulations, Albuquerque Academy Chargers 鈥︹赌

Not much else needed to be said. Academy鈥檚 boys tennis locked up it鈥檚 22nd-straight Class 1A-4A title Saturday at Jerry Cline Tennis Center, downing Santa Fe Prep 5-2 to continue a streak that鈥檚 grown older than any player on the roster.

Battling a motivated Griffins team, Academy head coach Tim Cass said he thought the Chargers鈥 doubles sweep 鈥渢ook the wind out鈥 of Santa Fe Prep鈥檚 sails, clearing a path for Academy鈥檚 27th overall team title and Cass鈥 second at the helm.

鈥淐andidly, I thought we were the most favored at No. 1 doubles of any position, and that was the toughest one we had,鈥 the former New Mexico tennis coach said. 鈥淚 was proud of the two and three doubles (teams) 鈥 I think they believed in themselves and I think that helped us control the momentum of the match.鈥

When does Cass start to think about 28?

鈥淢aybe give this a chance to just settle in,鈥 he said with a smile. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a new team every year, so I鈥檓 not sure who will be part of it next year.鈥

鈥淲henever they鈥檙e ready to think about it, I鈥檒l be ready to think about it.鈥

Academy鈥檚 girls were not to be outdone, however. In a rematch of last year鈥檚 weather-delayed final, the top-seeded Chargers claimed their sixth-straight 1A-4A title with a 5-1 win over Robertson.

After 鈥渕iraculously鈥 sweeping all doubles matches against the Cardinals last season, head coach Amy Badger said she thought her team was more motivated this year to ensure they weren鈥檛 put back in that position.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always a battle,鈥 Badger said. 鈥淩obertson is just a fabulous team, and they come to play 鈥 they come to fight. We have to do our part in that, too, we gotta work hard, because I know they鈥檙e not gonna give us anything.鈥

The favored La Cueva boys held up their end of the bargain, even if it came down to the final match, in Class 5A. Led by first-year head coach and program alumni Michael Tran 鈥 who replaced legendary coach Dick Johnson 鈥 the Bears eked out a 5-4 win over Albuquerque High.

鈥淚t means a lot,鈥 said Tran, now the first to win a state title with La Cueva as a player and coach. 鈥淎nd I got big shoes to fill, but (I鈥檓) doing my best to do so. It鈥檚 wonderful being an alum and having that experience of winning state championships before 鈥 it鈥檚 nice to be back in this environment.鈥

But in an event that鈥檚 been known to furnish dynasties, one program broke through Saturday evening: Farmington girls won their first 5A state championship 5-0 over La Cueva, snapping the Bears鈥 run of four-straight titles.

After graduating four of their top seven players from last year, Scorpions head coach Pat McGrath said he thought his team was a year away from being in position to contend. But strong leadership from team captains Marley Deswood and Hannah Jonas paired with clutch play made all the difference in a run McGrath won鈥檛 soon forget.

鈥淭his year, there was no dominant team,鈥 McGraff said. 鈥淔or the past four years, La Cueva was just better than everybody else, and we played them in every one of those finals 鈥 and lost. It was kinda nice to win one after four years.鈥