HRV boys tennis team gets things done, on the court in classroom

“Before our first match I realized half the varsity lineup would be playing their first match ever,” HRV Coach Jon Hiatt said. “By the end of the season, they played like this wasn’t their first season.

“I’m very happy with the improvement from the guys this year.”

Both on the court and off.

The Eagle boys were the 2020-21 Class 5A Oregon School Activities Association state champion for academics with a team 3.94 grade-point average (see related story this issue). “That’s a big team achievement; something to brag about,” Hiatt said.

Inside the lines, HRV finished second at the Intermountain Conference district tournament after placing third in the league’s dual-match standings. Redmond finished with 43 points to take the IMC team title over second-place Hood River (20) and third-place Ridgeview (17).

Two HRV seniors led the way: Matthew Vaughn Reardon and Ben Garofalo. Reardon was runner-up in singles to Skyler Jones of IMC champion Redmond, while Garofalo finished fourth.

“I was really proud of Ben,” Hiatt said. “He played his best tennis of the year in the semifinals and third-place matches. He really battled, followed the game plan, was patient, and had fun. He would have done well at state if there was one this year.”

Garofalo will attend University of California, San Diego this fall to study engineering.

Reardon is heading east, academic scholarships also in hand, to attend Syracuse University.

“He’s the first HRV player that I can think of to finish with a first, second and third place at the district tournament,” Hiatt said. “If it weren’t for COVID, he would have been a four-time state tournament participant.”

As it was, Reardon was a two-time state qualifier and a 2019 state semifinalist.

The IMC singles championship match was one for the ages. Redmond’s Jones won in three sets, the third set by a 10-8 tiebreaker. “It was one of the best singles matches I’ve seen in years,” Redmond Coach Nathan Saito said. “Very entertaining and very high-level tennis.”

Both Redmond and HRV will miss senior-laden teams next season. Hiatt said the foundation has been laid for the Eagles to make another IMC run. “The guys coming back are already working hard to improve and looking forward to next season,” he said.