Liberty aims for Sunrise title, trip to state finals

Liberty’s boys tennis team raised more than a few eyebrows and caused plenty of jaw drops last year when it advanced to the Sunrise Region final.

The Patriots got there despite forfeiting three points in every match as they couldn’t field a full team.

A year wiser and finally able to fill each slot in the lineup, the Patriots are hoping for more this year. After securing its first league championship last week, Liberty is aiming for a Sunrise title and a trip to the state tournament in Reno.

The quest begins at 3 p.m. Tuesday when the Patriots (10-1) host Basic (6-6) in a region quarterfinal. The rest of the Sunrise Region, and the Sunset and Division I-A Southern Region boys tournament starts today. The girls region tournaments start Tuesday. All region finals are Friday at Darling Tennis Center.

“We have the same strong core group of players that we had last year,” said Liberty senior Tristan Hoyle. “What we’ve really added is some pieces around it that can complement what we were already doing. We’re in an overall stronger position to win matches than we were last year, but the approach really isn’t changing. We’re playing our same top tier players in those first and second positions, and keeping newer players back in the lineup and hoping they can pull a couple of points out.”

Seniors Dylan Ihmels, Hoyle, Al Gourrier and Matt Drongensen form the nucleus of a squad that surprised Green Valley in last year’s Sunrise semifinals before falling to eventual state champion Coronado in the region final. Liberty lost to Bishop Gorman in a state play-in game.

The Patriots actually started last season with just five players and had to forfeit the season opener, then played without a No. 3 doubles team when they got to seven players — three singles players and two doubles teams.

“It was really just fun,” said head coach Kih Gourrier. “They started to give themselves nicknames. We started with the Fantastic Five who won matches points-wise, but lost because we had to forfeit, and then we made it to the Magnificent Seven. We knew there was a ceiling. We didn’t think it was a state play-in game. We just enjoyed it.”

Still, Liberty started each match knowing it was giving up three of the possible 18 points.

“It made us focus a little more,” Ihmels said. “We knew we had to come out and give our best or else the team might not win. There were matches where we had to go 3-0 (as individuals) just to keep it close.”

With a full team that includes some promising freshmen, the Patriots have options this year. And it’s allowing Gourrier to put his team in better positions to win.

“A lot of things we had to do last year was mix strong players with kids who weren’t sure what a tennis racket was just to squeak out points,” he said. “This year we have a solid foundation of new kids who can actually hold their own and be integral parts of the team. It just puts my seniors and upperclassmen in a better position when they can cover half of the court of 60 percent of the court and not 80 or 85 percent of the court.”

As a result, the Patriots are a more confident team and are hoping to secure their first trip to state as a team and possibly a state title.

“That’s the ultimate goal,” Hoyle said. “We’re still focused on every match directly in front of us, but our eyes are on the target and they will be for the remainder of playoffs and through individuals.

“More than anything, the maturity is there. We’ve been to a state play-in game. We’ve been in those pressure situations. We’re just going to feel comfortable in them. Other teams that have younger players aren’t going to be as well prepared for those situations as we are.”