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SALT LAKE CITY — Timpview battled its way back to the top of 4A tennis, knocking off defending champ Highland to claim the state title on Saturday.
In semifinal action, the Thunderbirds' Brandon Wardrop and Ryan Rostrom were able to best Highland's duo of Adam Hawker and George Nielson in an emphatic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) victory that was a key win for Timpview.
"It showed the heart of all four players out there," said Timpview coach Rob Sperry. "It kept us in the driver's seat, and that's always better than being in the back seat."
The win gave the Thunderbirds a slight advantage going into their four title matches, but motivated the rest of the boys on their team to get out there and finish the job.
Brothers John and Matthew Pearce dominated their respective Highland opponents in title showdowns, with John collecting his second straight No. 1 singles title and Matt earning his first state title as a freshman by claiming the No. 2 singles crown.
The elder Pearce played well in a 6-1, 6-2 win over the Rams' Chas Foote at No. 1 singles, while the younger Pearce rallied against Highland sophomore Jihoon Noh, who struggled with leg cramps in the loss.
"My coach told me not to get to tentative and told me to go out and play my game, and I did that really well," John Pearce said.
Timpview senior Zach Brown outlasted Highland senior Howard Cooke 7-5, 6-1 to claim the No. 3 singles title, with Cooke also suffering from extreme cramps that tilted the match in favor of Brown. Some might point out that Cooke could have been worn out after outlasting Bonneville's Tyler Heath 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) in the semifinals on Saturday morning.
Tyler Glauser and Preston Larson were able to bring the No. 1 doubles title to Highland after squeezing by Logan's Jimmy Stephens and Austin Allen 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-1) in a match as close as the score indicates.
"We wish second doubles could have pulled that win out, because we could've at least clinched a tie for first, but it feels good cause we took care of our game," said the Rams' doubles duo.
The Grizzlies' Stephens and Allen advanced to the title match after beating Timpview's Brett Jaynes and Tanner Christensen 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3.
In the No. 2 doubles title match, Brett Reynolds and Hunter Ballam from Logan picked up the victory over the Timpview pair of Wardrop and Rostrom in a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3) upset win. Credit the Grizzlies' duo for swooping in under the radar to become state champions.
Highland went 0-4 against Timpview in semifinal and championship play. Had the Rams knocked down any off their Thunderbird opponents, their chance of repeating would've surely been within grasp.
Timpview picked up its eighth title in 10 years, and with such a young squad the era of winning multiple titles could be returning to the Thunderbirds.
"I believe our program is going to be strong into the future," said Sperry. "We only know what we can do, and next year we will be a strong team."
email: cjohnson@desnews.com
