Boys' AIA tennis rankings roundup: Who can take down the defending champions?
This is a look at the Top 10 teams in the Arizona Interscholastic Association's boys high school tennis team rankings as of Wednesday, April 5. The rankings are updated regularly throughout the week:
Division I
The headliner in Division I is No. 1 Brophy Prep. The Broncos are coming off of a 2022 season that saw them win the Division I championship, giving them their seventh title in 10 years. Brophy hasn't given any reason to doubt their ability to repeat, as they've started off the season undefeated, being the only team in Division I to do so.
No. 2 Hamilton and No. 3 Pinnacle look to be the biggest challengers to Brophy. Both teams only have one loss so far, while according to AIA, and both came at the hands of Brophy. However, both teams have come back from the loss, with Hamilton going on a four-game winning streak and Pinnacle extending their win streak to six. They'll be schools to keep an eye on the rest of the season.
No. 4 Mountain Ridge and No. 5 Desert Mountain follow suit, with Mountain Ridge sporting one loss on their schedule while Desert Mountain has two. Both schools might flip flop when the regular season comes to a close though, as both teams will square off in the regular season finale on April 18. Both teams also have No. 3 Pinnacle left to face on their schedule.
No. 6 Rincon, No. 7 Chaparral, No. 8 Mesa Mountain View, No. 9 Red Mountain and No. 10 Millenium round out the top 10. Only one of the teams in this group didn't make the Division I playoffs last year, which was Red Mountain. After a 4-6 start last year, the Mountain Lions have bounced back this season, going 7-3 in their first ten games of the season, a three-win improvement over last season. Their great season will be tested though, as they have to face No. 4 Mountain Ridge on April 12. Chaparral, last year's runner-up, takes on No. 5 Desert Mountain in their final game of the regular season on April 13.
To see the full Division I rankings, go to this website: Division I Boys Tennis Rankings | AZPreps365
Division II
Division II has six undefeated teams, led by No. 1 Catalina Foothills. The Falcons are the defending champions of Division II and the biggest name amongst these rankings, having won the last eight Division II championships.
"It's a tradition that has been built up over the last 20 years," said Catalina Foothills coach Jeffrey Bloomberg. "Tennis players in Tucson know that if they come to Catalina Foothills and make the team that they'll be competing at the highest level."
Catalina Foothills have their toughest test of the season in a few days, as they square off against Division I team Millenium, who are ranked No. 10 on April 14. For Bloomberg, while matches against higher ranked teams matter, each match is equally important to the team.
"Our guys that are playing know that each match is really important as far as seeding is concerned," said Bloomberg. "We emphasize that it's one match at a time and you got to be prepared and play your best no matter who we're playing."
Following Catalina Foothills are No. 2 Estrella Foothills. After being swept by Catalina Foothills in the Division II championship last year, they're looking to get another shot. The Wolves will be in a decent position to do that, as they only have one top 10 team on the rest of its schedule in No. 10 Lee Williams and sit 8-0, which will mean a higher seeding.
The next two teams are No. 3 AZ College Prep and No. 4 Salpointe Catholic. AZ College Prep made the move up to Division II after a dominating 2022 season which saw them go all the way to the Division III championship match against eventual champ Phoenix Country Day. Meanwhile, the Lancers have matched their season total in wins from last season at five. They'll be tested as they have to play No. 7 Pusch Ridge, a Division III team and No. 6 Rincon, a Division I team.
Other undefeated teams in the to 10 are No. 6 Paradise Valley, No. 7 Prescott (No. 14 Douglas also is undefeated). Prescott and Paradise Valley made the playoffs last season and are on track to do so again.
No. 5 Notre Dame Prep, No. 8 Canyon View, No. 9 Nogales and No. 10 Lee Williams finish the top 10. Both of Notre Dame Prep and Canyon View's losses came at the hands of No. 2 Estrella Foothills. Notre Dame Prep doesn't have another top 10 team on its schedule and Canyon View only has one, No. 7 Prescott. While Nogales is the only school in the top 10 with multiple losses, they came from the best schools in Division 2 in No. 1 Catalina Foothills and No. 3 Salpointe Catholic and Division III powerhouse No. 1 Thatcher. They also have impressive wins over Marana, a Division III school, and Sahuarita, ranked No. 12 in the Division II . Lee Williams is off to a great 7-1 start, but they'll be the underdogs in their next matchup against undefeated No. 2 Estrella Foothills.
To see the full Division II rankings, check out the website: Division II Boys Tennis Rankings | AZPreps365
Division III
There are five undefeated teams in Division III, all in the top 5, led by No. 1 Thatcher at 10-0. The Eagles last year made it to the Division III semifinals, where they lost to the eventual champions, Phoenix Country Day.
Following closely behind them are No. 2 Scottsdale Prep, No. 3 Phoenix Country Day and No. 4 Anthem Prep. Like Thatcher, Scottsdale Prep also reached the Division III semifinals last season, where they lost to AZ College Prep. They have picked up right where they left off and will look to reach their second championship match in three seasons. Phoenix Country Day, one of the top programs in the state, is the two-time defending Division III champions looking for a potential three-peat. They have two undefeated teams on its schedule left in No. 5 ALA-West Foothills and No. 2 Scottsdale Prep. Anthem Prep is looking strong, having a 6-0 record and looking poised to finish in the top five once again and potentially undefeated, as they only have three games left to go.
No. 5 ALA-West Foothills is the other undefeated team.. They still have to play Phoenix Country Day on April 10.
No. 6 Pusch Ridge's only loss came to No. 1 Thatcher. The Lions held their own though, only losing by one set (5-4.) In their other six matches, they've swept all of their opponents.
The rest of the top 10 is rounded out with No. 7 Gilbert Classical, No. 8 Gilbert Christian, No. 9 Chandler Prep and No. 10 Florence. Gilbert Classical has two losses, but they were defeated by the top 2 teams in Division III in Thatcher and Scottsdale Prep. The Spartans can't afford more losses though, as they have to go through No. 8 Gilbert Christian and No. 9 Chandler Prep. Gilbert Christian is coming off of a big 5-4 win over Chandler Prep and will have the opportunity to keep the momentum going as they play No. 7 Gilbert Classical on April 13. Florence arguably has had a big turnaround.. After finishing last year with a 2-10 record, the Gophers have rattled off a 6-2 start and are poised to make the Division III playoffs, a place they haven't been since 2016.
To see the full rankings, head over to the website: Division III Boys Tennis Rankings | AZPreps365
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Boys' tennis rankings roundup: Titleholders, new powers, will there be new champions?
