The Century High School boys tennis team had a lot going against it this season:
A young, inexperienced team with multiple freshmen having to be major contributors.
Being one of the smallest schools in the 4A classification with it having 500 fewer students than crosstown rival Pocatello because of the district boundaries.
And not even having visible lines on its own tennis courts no less.
But none of that mattered Saturday.
The Diamondbacks still claimed the fourth state championship in program history with 42.5 points − 7.5 more than runner-up Bishop Kelly at the Class 4A State Tournament at Boise State’s Appleton Tennis Courts.
“When I started coaching, I never really thought about winning state titles and this is No. 9,” said Century head coach Sean Kane of his championships between the boys and girls programs. “You can always want that. But doing that is something pretty special. Like I tell the kids, ‘There’s thousands of kids that will never win a state championship or ever be a part of one. So it’s a pretty special thing.”
And the expectation at Century.
Since Kane took over in 2006, one of his teams has taken home a state trophy every year but one. In addition to the now four banners, the boys are four-time runners-up, two-time third placers and have finished fourth three times. They also have 13 district championships during that time frame alone.
But prior to Saturday, the Diamondbacks’ last time was back in 2018. The only pieces of hardware since then was a pair of fourth-place trophies in each of the last two seasons. It had been seven years since one of their own players had won a state title, as well.
“The expectation for us is to always be competing at a state level,” Kane said. “We really try hard to get the toughest schedule, go play the toughest teams in Idaho and build. I think that’s kind of the journey we’re always on. Tennis is hard. You’ve got to have a lot of things go right.
“Yes, we went down a little bit, but we were still getting better. So you have to just kind of work through those things and we’ve done that pretty well.”
Even on things outside of their control.
The lines on Century’s tennis courts were supposed to be repainted before the beginning of this season. The district hired a company to do in the fall. It was started, but never completed.
Kane said he’s still received very little communication as to why it was never finished.
“It was challenging,” said junior Daniel McGee who won a boys double state championship with his younger brother Liam. “We couldn’t actually play or get an idea of serving or if a ball was really in or not.”
So actual home matches were completely out of the question.
Instead, Century had to go more than 12 miles across town to Capell Park where Highland plays its home matches. The only times available there were during school hours with matches typically starting at around noon.
Players missed 20 days of school alone due to the scheduling conflict. But the team just embraced it by the end.
“No lines. No problems,” Kane said with a laugh. “It says everyone is capable. But what are you willing to do?
“It did not matter. They were willing to do what it took to win.”
Century still went unbeaten in the classification, won a third consecutive district crown and took 13 players to state, including three freshmen − all of whom placed.
Max Sheng and Tiden Lynn both finished with 20-plus wins and were third at state. Sheng was the No. 1 singles player all year, while Lynn teamed with fellow freshmen Kate Spicer in mixed doubles. They won the consolation championship at the Capital Classic, which with 32 teams, is one the biggest tournaments in the state.
“They’re very talented. They all can play just as well as anybody else in the state. They all held their own and performed how they should,” Daniel said. “It made it a really fun experience because it brought a whole different dynamic to the team.
“Some of them couldn’t even drive them around. So us older kids had to drive them and they’d be kicking our (butts) on the tennis court. They really stepped up.”
He experienced that firsthand with Liam.
Daniel had been a successful singles player over the last two years. He was a state runner-up as a freshman and fourth a year ago. But the opportunity to play with Liam this year was just too good to pass up on.
Which he admits wasn’t always the case.
“If you asked me five years ago if we’d be playing together, I would tell you, ‘Absolutely not.’ Because we would never get along on the tennis court,” Daniel said with a laugh. “We would always fight. I would always get upset at him. But I think starting high school helped him a lot. He was finally ready to get along with me on the court. We just came together out there.”
Including Saturday.
They came in as the No. 2 seed behind reigning state champion Garin Beste and Chase Schwartz of Wood River. Yet, the siblings made them look like anything but in their 6-1, 6-1 shellacking of them in the final.
The brothers actually had a harder time against the Wolverines’ No. 2 team of Simon Weeks and Ballard Griswold during their second-round match. They found themselves down a set in a hostile environment no less.
The two teams had already been jawing at each other. It only intensified when fans, parents and coaches started interjecting as well. Weeks and Griswold even had a few words to say to Kane and his coaching staff.
“My assistant Emma just laughed at them and they got so mad,” Kane said with a laugh.
Daniel, meanwhile, relished every second of it.
“That one was probably the funnest match I’ve ever played in my life,” Daniel said. “It was such high intensity and the emotions were flowing. A lot of testosterone in that match. They were really hyped and they were talking a lot of crap. It was back and forth. It was a battle.
“I’m really happy that my brother held his own out there because as a freshman, he’s never played in a match like that at that level of state. So to see him handle that super well and not get frustrated, was what made us win that match.”
After pulling off the 5-7, 6-1, 10-6 come-from-behind win, they only dropped a combined six sets in their next two matches. It all resulted in them becoming the first boys players since Seth Hatch and Arne Klutsch in 2017 to win a state title.
Daniel and Liam went 26-2 on the year. They only played three sets twice. Their only two losses were at the Capital Classic to Timberline’s Alex Guo/Clay Koessler and Eagle’s Tyler Osborne/Colton Symes who played each other in the Class 5A doubles championship match.
“That meant a lot to me that he was there with me and we did that together,” Daniel said. “That was something that I’ve really wanted since freshman year when I lost in the state championship. And to be able to do it with my brother out there, I think it was really special.
“It was something that we’ll remember forever.”
Century recorded an 11-2 record overall with its only two losses coming to 5A’s Madison and Highland, which took third at state itself.
“From day one, even before the season started, we all sat down and we talked about it,” Daniel said. “We said, ‘This is our goal, and this is how we’re going to make it happen. We’re gonna win this state championship no matter what even if everybody is counting us out.’”
Century’s girls finished tied for sixth with 11 points. Pocatello (six points) and Blackfoot (four) were ninth and 10th, respectively.
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