EDMOND – El Reno High School's boys tennis team ran into what could have been the toughest regional field not only in Class 5A but the entire state – and the final outcome was not favorable.
Competing in the Region I Championship at Kickingbird Tennis Club, El Reno finished no higher than seventh in any division.
“This regional was tougher than the girls,” El Reno head coach Michael Booher said. “It was a loaded field and Carl Albert was even supposed to be there but they got out and went to the Duncan regional.”
El Reno faced the likes of Booker T. Washington, Deer Creek, Bishop McGuinness and Guthrie. McGuinness, BTW and Southeast were the only non-members of the Suburban Conference sent to the regional.
“Southeast was better than they have been and Harrah was not bad either,” Booher said. “It was just a tough regional and we were playing with a lot of inexperience and that makes it tough.”
El Reno had only one singles entry as Dillon Nuzum played in the top division, taking seventh place after Guthrie's Dylan Williams defaulted due to injury.
Nuzum opened the regional facing third-seeded David Ma of Western Heights, losing in straight sets. He then dropped a 6-1/6-2 decision to Quincy Armstrong of Southeast in a match which was closer than the final score showed.
That loss dropped him into the match with Williams, who had lost to top-seeded Evan McElwain of BTW and Harrah's Sam Raglin.
El Reno did not field a No. 2 singles player.
In No.1 doubles play, Jace Smith and Daniel Hobson took seventh place with a 6-1/7-6 win over the team of Tran and Mangham from Southeast. The pair won the second set in a 7-1 tiebreaker.
The EHS pair opened the tournament with a straight sets loss to third-seeded Booker T. Washington, before dropping a 6-2/6-1 decision to the team of Howell and Jewell from Harrah.
Nolan Abner and Braden Young played No.2 singles, dropping a 6-0/6-2 match to Guthrie for seventh place. The duo faced second-seeded Washington in the first round, losing 6-1/6-0, before losing a close 6-4/6-2 decision to Southeast.
As a team, El Reno ended the regional with five points.