Riverhawk juniors Capek, Kelly peak at 5A state

The state tournament was the first since 2019, as the 2020 and 2021 tourneys were canceled because of the COVID pandemic.

“They did an amazing job in going to the state tournament and playing with a high intensity level,” said Lopez-Galvan, a 2010 The Dalles High graduate. “It was their best performance and the best they’ve played all season long.

“They went into the tournament with the mentality to win their matches and this was a big accomplishment for them.”

In a May 20 first-round match of the 16-team event, Capek and Kelly won 6-4, 6-3 over the Crescent Valley High Raider duo of senior Henry Pappas and junior Bryan Chen. The Riverhawk pair’s momentum continued in the quarterfinals, as Capek and Kelly won 6-3, 7-6 over the No. 1-seeded La Salle Prep High Falcon duo of sophomores Eldon Nichols and Breslin Nichols.

“I was a little surprised after they won their first match,” said Lopez-Galvan. “I could see that they really came to just compete and they really played their hearts out. I loved seeing that from them the whole tournament and it was awesome. It was a really a great season.

“I don’t think that The Dalles boys tennis has ever had a … doubles team progress as far as they did and place this high at the state tournament.”

In 1996, The Dalles’ Ricardo Trujillo won the Class 3A/2A/1A state singles championship. The year before, Coach Barbara Farmer’s boys team won the 3A/2A/1A state team title. In 1986, The Dalles’ girls doubles team of Karen Tibbetts and Sarah Kelly won the OSAA state doubles championship. The Dalles finished in a five-way tie for first place that season in the team competition.  

Capek and Kelly reached the May 21 semifinals and a match-up against their Intermountain Conference rivals from Redmond, junior Tanner Jones and senior Nico Afti. The Panther pair proved to be a tough opponent, as they won the match, 6-2, 6-4, to advance to the finals.

Capek and Kelly bounced back from the loss in the third-place trophy match, as they won, 6-4, 7-6 (7), over juniors Caleb Simpkins and Hudson Clark of the West Albany High Bulldogs. Crescent Valley junior Luke Forester and freshman Richard Wang won the doubles title, 6-1, 6-0, over Jones and Afti.

The Dalles almost had four players who reached state. The Riverhawks had two players who lost in the IMC district tournament quarterfinals May 11-12 at Ridgeview High School in Redmond. The Dalles sophomore Henry Perez and Matthieu Poiraud lost singles matches at district, just missing out on trips to the state finals.