Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — There was no match-winning point or vicious forehand that officially clinched Brighton's 15th boys tennis state title in school history Saturday at the Salt Lake Tennis Club.
But Bengals head coach Jason Newell had a pretty good idea when it happened, after Woods Cross beat Skyline for the second doubles individual crown.
That's when a huge roar erupted from the Brighton cheering section, and Newell — who was outside coaching — could feel the raw emotion.
Owen Hopkin won the second singles championship to help the Bengals hold off Skyline by 3 points for Brighton's first 5A boys tennis title since 2018 that broke a tie for the fourth-most in Utah High School Activities Association history.
"Brighton has plenty of tennis hardware," said Newell, an alum who played on two state title-winning teams in the 1980s. "We've had a strong program for a long time. We've finished second for the last two years. This year was unlike any other.
"With the (bad) weather, we had to cancel many matches and even more practices," he explained. "At the end of the season, we had to play four matches in one week to get everything in, so I guess it's only fitting that the season ended like it did, except it will be more memorable for us because we finished on top."
Hopkin downed Highland's Timo Van Beurden-Brugnoli, 6-4, 6-3, in second singles to continue the Bengals' run of individual champions, and Cameron Grass added a runner-up finish in third singles.
"I played great," Hopkin said. "I kept it level. My opponents were phenomenal, but I was fine in the back and made a lot of plays rushing the net."
Highland finished third with 29 points, one point ahead of Woods Cross and three-up on Viewmont.
UHSAA 5A boys tennis tournament
Liberty Park/Salt Lake Tennis Club
Top 10 teams
- Brighton, 40
- Skyline, 37
- Highland, 29
- Woods Cross, 28
- Viewmont, 25
- Olympus, 20
- Alta, 17
- Wasatch, 14
- Bountiful, 10
- Maple Mountain, 9
- Springville, 9
First singles
- Semifinals: Nathan Tullis, Viewmont, d. Oliver Mesicek, Highland, 6-3, 6-2; Griffin Schroeder, Alta, d. Ford Owen, Brighton, 7-6 (1), 6-3.
- Championship: Tullis, Viewmont, d. Schroeder, Alta, 6-4, 6-4.
Second singles
- Semifinals: Owen Hopkin, Brighton, d. Kyle Rasmussen, Skyline, 6-0, 6-4; Timo Van Beurden-Brugnoli, Highland, d. Michael Tullis, Viewmont, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
- Championship: Hopkin, Brighton, d. Van Beurden-Brugnoli, Highland, 6-4, 6-3.
Third singles
- Semifinals: Drew Wardrop, Skyline, d. Dylan Corfield, Springville, 6-2, 6-0; Cameron Grass, Brighton, d. Cooper Fletcher, Highland, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4.
- Championship: Wardrop, Skyline, d. Grass, Brighton, 6-1, 6-3.
First doubles
- Semifinals: Dean Weaver and Weston Stutznegger, Skyline, d. Thomas Cardon and Harrison Roney, Maple Mountain, 7-5, 6-1; Jake Richards and Caleb Richards, Woods Cross, d. Cole Ritchie and Tyler Jones, Wasatch, 6-3, 6-3.
- Championship: Richards/Richards, Woods Cross, d. Weaver/Stutznegger, Skyline, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Second doubles
- Semifinals: Barrett Jeppsen and Isaac Fox, Olympus, d. Ilario Noyes and Jonah Watt, Highland, 6-1, 6-3; Ryker Iverson and Andrew Harrison, Woods Cross, d. James Covey and Maxwell Pohlman, Brighton, 6-4, 6-4.
- Championship: Jeppsen/Fox, Olympus, d. Iverson/Harrison, Woods Cross, 6-1, 6-2.
