Safford girls runners-up at state tournament

By Brian Wright
Sports Editor

The Safford girls tennis team was state runner-up at the 2A/3A championships Saturday in Glendale at the Paseo Racquet Club. The team includes, front from left, Hannah Ridinger, Fernanda Calienes and Ashley Pedro; back, assistant coach Brooke Bingham, Allison Evans, Meredith Ridinger, Kelsey Claridge, head coach Rhonda Sears and volunteer assistant Karen Cornelius. Photo by Brian Wright

The payoff to the end of a long tennis season was worth it for Safford.

A state-runner up finish for the girls and a semifinal appearance by the boys was a rewarding way to end the year.

After the girls beat Scottsdale Christian 5-3 in the semifinals, the Bulldogs ran into a powerhouse Phoenix Country Day team in the finals.

Country Day went on to win the championship and also won the boys title.

Safford head coach Rhonda Sears was proud of her players, especially the hard work and effort from her girls.

“You could just see their progression (from the beginning of the year,” Sears said. “I think they peaked at the right time.”

Sears credited the bottom of her singles rotation with giving the team the depth it needed to get to the state finals. The ever-improving play of Hannah Ridinger had a big impact on the team’s success, Sears said.

Safford was a large underdog heading into the finals against Country Day. Although Safford dominated its competition in the regular season, Country Day was unlike any other team it faced.

Most of the Country Day players (boys and girls) have their own personal professional coach. The Safford players, on the other hand, only received coaching from Sears and assistant coach Brooke Bingham.

With the exception of Thatcher, no program challenges Safford in its region. The schools from the Metro region, like Country Day, play against much stronger competition throughout the season.

“The fact that the girls were able to clinch the state runner-up title is absolutely amazing,” Sears said.

“The fact that the boys were able to gain the status of the top four teams in Arizona (is also) a great accomplishment for a rural school.”

Allison Evans tallied the only win for the girls in a 5-1 loss to Country Day in the finals. She beat Kendra Simon (who she also beat for the state singles title) 6-0, 6-2.

Safford’s boys advanced to the semifinals by beating Tombstone 5-0 in the first round.

Thatcher’s boys team also made the state semifinals with a 5-3 win over Tucson Desert Christian in the first round. The Eagles lost 5-0 to eventual champion Country Day in the semifinals.