PUEBLO - In a season that was shortened, scrambled and fortunately happened at all, there wasn’t much time for defending champion Cheyenne Mountain to sort out who went where.

A swap took place once the season was underway. Bennett Ziegler and Miles Wagner beat Carver Ward and Miles Hoover in a three-set challenge match to take over No. 1 doubles.

On that long, intense day, pieces fell into place. Both pairs went on to win Class 4A state titles Saturday at City Park in Pueblo and help secure Cheyenne Mountain a share of second place with Mullen. Niwot won the first championship in program history.

Cheyenne Mountain ties for second at 4A state boys' tennis in one of closest races in history

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No. 2 doubles

Visually, Ward and Hoover are an odd pair. Ward is a senior just shy of 6-foot-4 and Hoover, a freshman, is 5-3.

Those looks are deceiving. On Saturday, across from a boisterous, tightly contested No. 1 doubles final, Ward and Hoover quietly and methodically beat Niwot’s Xavier Moy and Alan Wilcox 6-1, 6-3.

Ward and Hoover were the last two to come out of the Cheyenne Mountain singles group and “thrown” together. Ward said he knew as early as their first match that they had something special.

“They just were a great pair,” coach Dave Adams said. “Carver’s up at the net trying to get everything and Miles is back there hitting ground strokes and keeping the ball in play.”

They lost the No. 1 spot but didn’t let it hinder them. Ward said they saved their best tennis for the state tournament, where he’d finished third at various positions the past three years.

“I felt like we needed to get him his state championship before he left for college. That was my goal and I am super happy for him,” Hoover said. “I felt like this was more of his win and I’m very happy for that.”

“It is our win,” Ward corrected, referencing seven shots in a row he missed during the semifinals. “We still came out and we won that set pretty handily because this guy put everything in.”

No. 1 doubles

Ziegler and Wagner, on the other hand, look like a natural fit — both seniors, similar in stature, yelling encouraging words after every point and eager to pump up the crowd.

The theatrics didn’t always benefit them. Wagner, who won a state title at No. 3 doubles in 2019, wanted to follow in the footsteps of sister Sydney, who won at No. 1, but Adams didn’t see it early on.

“I would never have guessed at the beginning of the season, especially, that those guys would end up winning a state title at 1 doubles in particular,” Adams said. “They’re kind of flashy, but they make too many mistakes.

“Well as the year went on, they figured that out. They learned how to just be a little more patient. Set points up — better than get it all done in one or two shots.

“They’ve always had a flow. If they get it going, they’re really pretty amazing.”

Ziegler and Wagner rolled past Kent Denver’s Jack Domich and Casey Klutznick, 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals. Ziegler had lost there twice in previous years and shed some baggage.

“I wanted to win the final too, but the semifinal was kind of personal,” he said.

The pair didn’t have the same jump a few hours later and Mullen’s Greg McMullan and Dante Dino didn’t help them out, making few mistakes. They found themselves down a set, just like in the challenge match against Ward and Hoover that set things in motion.

Ziegler and Wagner picked up steam and took the next two sets 6-3, 6-2. They finished out their high school tennis careers, naturally, with drama and noise.

Singles

No area singles player made it out of the semifinals, with Palmer Ridge’s Ben Carlander falling to eventual state champion George Henry Hanzel of Mullen in straight sets at No. 2 singles.

Junior Carlander had researched Hanzel and had healthy respect for his senior opponent. He turned in a performance he was proud of.

“It was a good match. I was happy with it,” Carlander said. “It would have taken a lot for me to beat him.”

Palmer Ridge finished 11th in the team standings. Carlander thinks the best is yet to come for the junior-heavy team.

“Next year will be our year,” he said.

Cheyenne Mountain in second after Day 1 at 4A state tennis

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