Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008 | 1:01 p.m.
Coronado's boys tennis team may have had the best young talent at the large-school state tennis tournament, but Bonanza had the experience.
Experience won out as Coronado fell 13-5 to Bonanza in the team finals on Oct. 24 in Carson City. The loss marked the second consecutive year Coronado was knocked out of the state tournament by Bonanza, which has won five state titles in the last eight years.
"We started out well against them," Coronado coach Luther Bohanan said. "A lot of our guys started out ahead, but we couldn't capitalize. I attribute that to inexperience."
Coronado took three freshmen to the tournament, including Brian Foley, who went 2-1 in singles and upset Bonanza senior Aashish Daulat in the first round of the championship match.
The doubles team of Colton Pate and Marc Feldman led Coronado by going undefeated in tournament but Bonanza dominated in singles action.
"It was much closer than the score indicated," Bonanza coach Erik Davis said. "They gave us a lot of trouble in the doubles matchups."
Coronado has been runners-up in the state tournament twice in three years during Bohanan's tenure.
"To be as young as we are and compete with Bonanza, we have nothing to hang our heads about," Bohanan said. "There's a bright future ahead for us."
In the girls team tournament, Green Valley High was the only Henderson school to go to Carson City.
In its first appearance at state since 1996, Green Valley lost 11-7 to Reno's Galena High in the semifinals. Galena lost 12-6 to Bishop Gorman in the finals.
Green Valley senior Jessica Hsu went 3-0 in singles.
"I think a lot of our girls were nervous," Green Valley coach Holly Basinger said. "We didn't play our best, but I was proud of our season."
Hsu also competed in the individual tournament, taking fourth in girls singles after losing 1-6, 7-6, 6-2 to Bonanza's Alison Matlovic in the third place match.
Green Valley's Evan Song, who won the boys singles title last year, took fourth after losing 6-1, 6-2 to Palo Verde's Stan Breland.
Canyon Springs' Rebecca Breland won girls singles title, defeating Gorman's Sarah Toti 6-2, 6-4 in the finals.
Palo Verde's Brandon Parker took the boys singles title, beating Reno's Jeff Mullen 6-3, 7-5.
Bonanza's Daulat and Andrew Whiting won the boys doubles finals 6-4, 6-3 against teammates Laurent Gontier and Sean Lettero.
Gorman's Anita Lee and Sarah Bessen won the girls doubles finals 6-0, 7-6 against Silverado's Kristen Santero and Nicole Santero.
The Santero sisters have finished second in state three consecutive seasons.
Sean Ammerman can be reached at 990-2661 or [email protected].
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