There’s not a tennis-playing high school in the state of Arizona that is the equal of the Patagonia Lobos.
Simply fielding a team with an enrollment of 70-some students is already a winning achievement. Indeed, only five other schools classified by the Arizona Interscholastic Association as 1A compete in high school tennis – and all five have considerably larger enrollments.
Pair those facts with the Lobos compiling a 7-4 record in dual matches and the bottom line is a remarkable example of punching above their weight. The seven victories included five over Class 2A schools.
“This is by far the best tennis season,” said senior Jaxon Yslava, in his fourth and final year on the team. “We were able to get a full boys team, finally we were able to play all six matches and even have an extra. And we’re winning some matches now.”
David Clovesko-Wharton, in his fifth season as head coach, gives Yslava and fellow senior Skylar Sanchez, in his third year on the team, much of the credit for raising the program’s profile.
“They both have motivational superpowers,” Clovesko-Wharton said. “Jaxon is more of the social jitterbug on the team. He recruited many players, has the most natural ability. He does mentoring in practice. He’s really helped his teammates get better.
“Skylar calls himself the patriarch of the team, more of an organizer. He pulled Jorge (Sotelo) and Lenin (Albarran) onto the team. They are both true-blue Lobo tennis players, and that makes me super proud.”
Yslava was also a key contributor to the Lobos basketball team, but while he was in the gym, Clovesko-Wharton was conducting offseason workouts, which were particularly helpful for the team’s first-year players. “You can really see the improvement just from those short practices they had,” Yslava said.
Patagonia’s regular season concluded April 16 with an 8-1 victory over Tombstone, but Yslava and Albarran will represent the Lobos in the state doubles championship for Division III, which encompasses schools from 1A, 2A and 3A classifications.
Albarran is in his first season in tennis (he played baseball for two years), but Yslava said they clicked immediately. “I knew from the first day of practice that I wanted him as my partner because I just saw the chemistry we could have together,” he said.
The pair had a 6-3 record, but they’ll have to continue defying the odds at the state tournament, which begins Friday, May 1, at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale. Their first-round opponents are Cody Urias and Aviel Arellano, who are undefeated in 12 matches for Pusch Ridge Christian, the No. 1-ranked team in Division III.
Win or lose, the season will go down as a success – one that Clovesko-Wharton hopes to build upon. While Yslava, Sanchez and Albarran will have graduated, four players are eligible to return: juniors Alex Ruskowitz and Louis Reyes and sophomores Sotelo and Daniel Santos.
“They’re already talking about getting more people out next year,” Clovesko-Wharton said. “It’s a contagious, clique-y thing.”
He’ll be looking to Ruskowitz, who had a 7-3 record in singles and 8-2 in doubles, to fill the leadership void.
“He’s probably our toughest competitor,” Clovesko-Wharton said. “He has the sports IQ. He knows how to study the body language, make adjustments on the fly.”