4A state boys' tennis: L-P's Reid highlights local semifinalists

PUEBLO • Lewis-Palmer senior Aidan Reid beat Cheyenne Mountain’s best player Thursday during the first day of action in the 4A boys’ state tennis tournament at City Park.

Now the Indians are rooting for Reid to win again.

“All of a sudden, we’re big Aidan Reid fans,” Indians coach Dave Adams said with a laugh. “That’s perhaps the biggest match of the day for us.”

Reid beat Indians junior Jon Moore — after both had cruised to victories in their opening matches — 6-3, 6-4 to advance to today’s semifinals. If Reid reaches Saturday’s championship match by beating Niwot sophomore Michael Ogez, all players who lost to Reid qualify for the playback bracket, which determines third place and affords the opportunity to earn more team points.

“That would put Jon back in and knock (Kent Denver junior) Jack Reynolds out,” Adams said. “That would be a big swing for us.”

Cheyenne Mountain has won 13 of the past 17 outright state championships. Kent Denver won last year by a point over the Indians and has four titles, plus a shared crown with Cheyenne Mountain in 1999.

Except for Moore, the Indians advanced everyone to the semifinals while losing only one set. Kent Denver also has semifinalists in six divisions. The teams won’t square off unless it’s in Saturday’s finals.

Reid applied heat pads to his back after his first match, but appeared close to normal after suffering back spasms at last week’s regional when he lost for the only time this year to Mullen senior Stan Vaughan, who is also in the semifinals.

“That’s the best I’ve played in a while,” Reid said. “I didn’t make a whole lot of errors. It was a good match with Jon. Even when it got windy, it was still a high level of quality tennis.”

Moore, the No. 2 singles champion last year, is 0-3 against Reid.

“Both those guys were pounding the ball,” Lewis-Palmer coach Paul Kardel said. “It was amazing. Most recreational players can only dream of hitting it like that.”

Moore’s younger brother, freshman Steven Moore, lost the first set of his second match but battled back to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“Steven showed a lot of courage,” Adams said. “That was big for us to get him through.”