While the final score was closer than expected, the Lehman Lobos opened play in the 25-6A tournament with a 10-5 win over the Leander Lions Monday at Lehman High.
But the Lobos’ 2017 team season came to a close several hours later when they dropped a 10-0 decision to the vaunted Vandegrift Vipers, bringing the team’s final record to 9-4.
Despite the defeat, Lobo head tennis coach Orlando De La Fuente said he’s excited to have seen growth across the board from his program.
“We feel like we’ve grown collectively and individually,” De La Fuente said. “We’re young, especially on the girls side. We’re happy they stepped up and won some big matches this year.”
Several key contributors for the Lobos include seniors Diego De La Fuente, Alex Rivera and Raven Hamilton, who scored big wins during the season. Underclassmen include juniors Ana Heysquierdo, Benu Liburd, Sophia Gonzalez, along with freshmen BB Thomsen and Izzy Carrera.
The team found success in a district that held the likes of Westlake, Vista Ridge and Lake Travis, as well as rival Hays, which the Lobos defeated for the fourth time in as many years.
De La Fuente said going up against the top of the district is a challenge as the team doesn’t see similar time on the court as its opponents.
“We don’t collectively have the court time a lot of these places do, in respect to club tennis, academy tennis and junior tournaments,” De La Fuente said. “We don’t have a lot of kids doing that. But we’re still doing pretty well for what we’re able to accomplish on our courts.”
De La Fuente said Diego and Rivera could have a viable shot to succeed during the spring semester. They’ll have to do so amid a district and region where there is “so much depth.”
“It’s going to take some luck and stellar plan on our part to be able to get out to have a shot in the regional tournaments,” De La Fuente said.
However, De La Fuente said interest in tennis is also growing across Hays CISD. Aiding that cause is a middle school tennis program that’s shepherding students into the sport.
“I think hopefully as a whole, and in the community, [tennis] will keep growing,” De La Fuente said. “We try to stay flexible with kids and make sure we’re also encouraging them to be involved in other clubs and advanced academics.”
