An already shortened season for the Durango High School boys tennis team was dealt further early blows. The largest regular-season tournament was cut short by inclement weather, while Durango’s first of only two home matches on the schedule suffered the same fate.
So, the Demons are eager to get back on their home court at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday for matches against Grand Junction Central. It’s the same Warriors team Durango faced in its final matches Saturday at the Western Slope Open in Grand Junction. DHS won all three singles matches, but the doubles matches had not yet completed when lightning and rain brought an end to the tournament. DHS would be credited with third place.
Durango and Grand Junction Central will get a chance to do it again Friday in Durango. It is the home finale for the Demons, who had their home match against Grand Junction also suspended because of rain.
“We are really looking forward to another home match,” said DHS first-year head coach Mike Moriarty. “We felt good at the Western Slope Open. We are a stronger team than last year, and it’s probably our strongest in a few years now.”
Moriarty, who is a United States Professional Tennis Association certified tennis professional for Dalton Ranch, is in his first year as head coach of the Demons. He was the assistant to head coach Todd Jolley a year ago.
DHS is on its third coach in as many years. The school had struggled to find a head coach after Dave Weisfedlt’s retirement in 2016. Boys basketball coach Alan Batiste filled in for two seasons before Jolley took over for 2019.
“We are lucky to have him working with our students,” Durango 9-R Athletic Director Ryan Knorr said of Moriarty. “He’s very positive and is very cognitive of tennis being a team sport even though it is often thought of as being an individual sport. We are confident he is going to build an entire program and give our students a chance at some long-term consistency and high-level success.”
Moriarty had considered the position in years previous, but his schedule would not allow for the necessary time.
“When coach Jolley stepped down, it looked like the boys needed someone in that spot,” Moriarty said. “The last couple of years, they had guys who were coaches, for sure, but not tennis specialists. I’ve been a tennis pro for awhile now in the area, and I wanted to lend more tennis expertise to the high school team. I want to be a guy who can teach them technique, strategy, tactics and increase their tennis IQ in addition to getting out and having a good time playing tennis.”
Results have been strong early in the 2020 season for DHS. The season was allowed to be held during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was cut from 10 weeks to seven. Regionals and the state tournament will all be played in one day of single-elimination brackets instead of double-elimination played across multiple days.
Moriarty had 33 players attend tryouts this year. Health regulations make it so the whole squad can’t practice together. No more than 25 athletes and coaches can be on the courts at one time. So, Moriarty runs a 1.5-hour varsity practice after school, and junior varsity comes for an hour after varsity practice is complete. There are no junior varsity matches scheduled this year, so Moriarty plans to have a big intrasquad scrimmage Saturday to allow the JV players to challenge the varsity.
Singles play has been quality for DHS this year. Ethan Craig has held down the No. 1 singles position during his senior year with great success.
Elias Fiddler, another senior, is at No. 2 singles followed at No. 3 singles by senior captain Aedan Hall, who was a state qualifier at No. 1 doubles a year ago.
“Having all three of those guys as seniors is big for us,” Moriarty said. “Ethan is a very strong No. 1 singles. I also think our doubles teams across the board give us our strongest lineup for doubles we’ve had in awhile.”
Chemistry is key in doubles, and two teams couldn’t be closer than junior twins Hays and Ilias Stritikus at No. 3 doubles and fellow junior twins Griffin and Rowan Hall, the younger brothers of Aedan Hall, at No. 4 singles.
The top doubles squad for DHS is made up of junior Calan Barnhardt and senior Noah Pritchard. Sam Johnson, another senior, and junior Carter Ward are the No. 2 doubles team.
DHS beat Steamboat Springs in all seven matches during the Western Slope Open but lost 5-2 to Grand Junction in the second round. It was the third-round matchup against the Warriors that was never completed with DHS ahead 3-0.
Now, it’s time to finish what was started Saturday with a fresh doubleheader with Grand Junction Central on Friday.
“My hope is to sweep both matches we play,” Moriarty said. “At the very least, we want to win five of seven in both rounds.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
