Heritage Hall’s Dick Villaflor named National Tennis Coach of the Year
Heritage Hall girls tennis coach Dick Villaflor almost didn’t believe it at first. Villaflor, the face of Charger tennis, was named the national tennis coach of the year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association on Wednesday night in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Villaflor was the only Oklahoma coach to win a national honor.
“I was kind of stunned,” Villaflor said. “This is really pretty amazing.”
Villaflor led Heritage Hall to another Class 4A state championship. The year was also special for Villaflor as it was the final time he would be able to coach one of his kids.
His daughter Carissa, who has signed to play at Newman University in Kansas, won her third state championship.
There were eight Oklahoma coaches up for the national honor. In order to be considered, each had to earn the Region 5 award, which includes Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
The other Oklahoma coaches considered were Okmulgee’s Danny Morgan (athletic director), Red Oak’s Trey Booth (baseball), Capitol Hill’s Donny Tuley (boys basketball), Bethel’s Jerry Johnson (girls basketball), Ardmore’s Steven Ross (golf), Barnsdall’s <strong>Joe Gilbert (softball) and Muskogee’s Bobby Jefferson (wrestling).
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
All-State tennis rosters
All-State tennis
Here are the rosters for the Oklahoma Coaches Association’s All-State tennis match. The match will be Tuesday, July 26 at the University of Tulsa
Boys
West
Brandon Cohlmia, Heritage Hall; Truit Gray, Edmond Memorial; Chris Haworth, Putnam City North; Wil Rodwell, Putnam City North; Eric Olson, Edmond North; Cooper Shear, Heritage Hall; Cole Trippet, Beaver; Bryan Ulrey, Edmond Memorial.
East
John Brothers, Metro Christian; Will Edwards, Cascia Hall; Ethan Ferguson, Durant; Robert Jackson, Ada; Matthew Medcalf, Ada; Connor Sokolosky, Cascia Hall; Raymond Westby, Tulsa Kelley; Tyler Wollmershauser, Tulsa Kelley.
Girls
West
Safaa Aly, Edmond Memorial; Ashleigh Chiaf, Bishop McGuinness; Lexie Maytubby, Anadarko; Trinian O’Neil, McGuinness; Natalie Price, Edmond North; Taylor Spradlin, Duncan; Carissa Villaflor, Heritage Hall; Mackenzie Zaloudek, Enid.
East
Annie Best, Broken Arrow; Laura Fillmore, Tahlequah; Shelby Fraser, Bartlesville; Taylor Haddad, Shawnee; Michelle Mesmer, Cascia Hall; Lauren Mitchell, Tahlequah; Gabrielle Siegler, Jenks; Lisa Waldron, Jenks.
No stopping Edmond North boys tennis
The future is now for Edmond North's David Hager, who won his first championship Saturday.
We’re minutes away from ending the spring sports championship season. Been camped out (as always) at the OKC Tennis Center for the state tennis tournament, and it was another great weekend.
Some things went as expected (looking at you, Chris Haworth). Some things caught me off guard (looking at you, Heritage Hall, tying for the championships). But through it all, great two days.
6A
- How good is this Edmond North team? With Putnam North star/legend/icon Haworth now leaving to attend at Oklahoma State, you could realistically see the Huskies sweep 6A the next couple of years. Heck, only Haworth prevented that from happening this year.
And it wasn’t because Nate Roper didn’t give it his all. That first set Roper came out firing. He wasn’t frozen by the moment at all. That’s all you ask. Eventually his play dipped a little and Haworth did what he’s done all four years with the Panthers and found a way. Score was 6-4, 6-1.
On the court right next to him, Edmond North’s David Hager was engaged in an entertaining battle with Putnam North’s Wil Rodwell. I promise to stop mentioning Hager’s size, but it was among the most talked about things this weekend. Teams that had never seen Hager got an understanding of what he’s all about.
This match turned at 6-2, 1-4 in the second set. Rodwell hit a beautiful winner but started cramping. And then he started cramping in the other leg. And before you knew it, a 4-1 advantage became down 5-4 and match point. On Hager’s second match point, he closed the show.
I enjoyed this match immensely. The patience of Hager vs. the power of Rodwell. That final game saw points that lasted more than a minute. I videoed them, I know. Heck of a battle.
And on the court next to him, the doubles team of Bryan Lilley and Eric Olson were claiming their title against Norman North’s Nick Hardersen and Trey Pirtle. Edmond North beat Norman North in the other doubles title match.
And a fond farewell to Putnam North coach David Diefenderfer, who is calling it a career after 38 years of coaching.
5A
Felt it would be Bishop Kelley edging out McGuinness in this one but turned out the other way with the Irish edging the Comets. Irish No. 1 singles player Riley Hale had an incredible day. Five sets, biggest margin of win in any of them: 6-4.
He went more 3 1/2 hours with Tyler Wollmershauser of Kelley. It was 6-4, 6-7, 7-5. Hale said he actually had a lot more than he anticipated in the final against Robert Jackson of Ada. Jackson won 7-6, 7-6.
Great day for the Suburban Conference with Carl Albert and Shawnee each winning a doubles championship. The Titans, wow, that will be a group to watch next year. Junior Matt Franks and Ryan Mullins smoked the Irish in the final. Shawnee’s duo of Anthony Davis and Dalton Stewart were only consistent with their inconsistency. Pulled it off 6-1 in the third set.
4A
Welcome to coaching tennis in the spotlight, Brian Bogert. His first official year of running the Heritage Hall program, and he made a gutsy call late in the year.
Paid off in a tie for a championship with Metro Christian. Great drama in the No. 2 doubles championship of Heritage vs. Cascia Hall. A win by the Chargers would force a tie. A loss, and the Patriots would claim the title.
It didn’t start out well with Cascia winning 7-5 but the Chargers came back to win 6-1, 6-3 way out there on court No. 21. The theme has been to win it for the seniors this year (Brandon Cohlmia and Shear), and that’s what they did.
- Big ups to the way the tournament is being run. Under the second year of new management/leadership, that was about as smooth as anybody could possibly hope. A lot of the kinks were worked out. Great atmosphere as always and can’t wait to do it again.
- Look for videos with Haworth and Hager on NewsOK later in the weekend. Battery ran low and couldn’t get the others, sorry.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Lucky No. 13 a grind for Irish tennis
One of the sights to remember at the state tennis tournament as father (Dick Villaflor) and daughter (Carissa) embrace after Carissa's 3rd title.
If you’ve known me long enough, you know the four days of the state tennis tournament are among my favorites ones in the entire year.
Halfway home, and the girls lived up to the billing. Jenks, Bishop McGuinness and Heritage Hall all earned another championship.
Thoughts and observations
- Wow, Madison Westby of Bishop Kelley is the real deal. Just a freshman, she bounced back from losing the first set to beat three-time champion Ashleigh Chiaf of Bishop McGuinness in the championship. What impressed me more than anything was how hard Westby hits the ball. Love watching powerful ground strokes. After a battle in the first two sets, Westby turned it on for a 6-0 win in the third set.
- Duncan is close, and I would make the Demons the No. 1 team for next year, but the Irish were able to get title No. 13 in a row. Trinian O’Neil won the championship at No. 2 doubles, but what turned out to be key was the young doubles teams being able to reach the finals. The Demons won both doubles championships, but the Irish were able to hold on for a 30-29 points edge. Fun stuff as always.
- 6A became an absolute mess after the semifinal round. But off the strength of its incredible singles players of Stephanie Wei and Piper Huey, Jenks was able to claim the crown. Edmond Memorial coach Randy Mays made all the right moves that resulted in a doubles title for Megan Montgomery and Safaa Aly and a team runner-up finish. And Enid was right there in the mix. Love how Darrell Herndon runs that program.
- 4A was an emotional moment for the Villaflor family. The last Villaflor kid is done at Heritage Hall. Carissa went out on top with her third state championship. She’s got three, Caleb and Natalie each have one. It was a touching scene to see Carissa and her father and coach, Dick Villaflor, embrace after the match. Such a sense of finality. All those years of coaching and that’s the final time. Very similar to what the scene was a couple of years ago at McGuinness with the Connelly family.
- Academic champions: Heritage Hall (4A), Tahlequah (5A), Muskogee (6A).
- Look for videos with Villaflor, Chiaf and Montgomery-Aly on NewsOK. Boys regionals are Monday, followed by the state tournament Friday and Saturday. You know I’ll be there.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Tennis rankings for week of April 25
As voted on by the Oklahoma Tennis Coaches Association
Class 6A
Boys
1. Edmond North; 2. Tulsa Union; 3. Edmond Memorial; 4. Jenks; 5. Broken Arrow; 6. Putnam City North; 7. Norman North; 8. Enid; 9. Edmond Santa Fe; 10. Mustang.
Girls
1. Jenks; 2. Edmond North; 3. Enid; 4. Edmond Memorial; 5. Broken Arrow; 6. Owasso; 7. Bartlesville; 8. Muskogee; 9. Mustang; 10. Edmond Santa Fe.
5A
Boys
1. Bishop Kelley; 2. Ada; 3. Bishop McGuinness; 4. Durant; 5. Duncan; 6. Carl Albert; 7. Deer Creek; 8. Shawnee; 9. McAlester; 10. Tulsa Washington.
Girls
1. Bishop McGuinness; 2. Duncan; 3. Bishop Kelley; 4. Tahlequah; 5. Ada; 6. Tulsa Washington; 7. Shawnee; 8. Ardmore; 9. Deer Creek; 10. Guthrie.
4A
Boys
1. Metro Christian; 2. Cascia Hall; 3. Heritage Hall; 4. Oklahoma Christian; 5. Byng; 6. Henryetta; 7. Anadarko; 8. Elk City; 9. Kingfisher; 10. Beaver.
Girls
1. Heritage Hall; 2. Cascia Hall; 3. Metro Christian; 4. Perry; 5. St. Mary; 6. Elk City; 7. Byng; 8. Seminole; 9. Anadarko; 10. Midway.
Irish, Ashleigh Chiaf not ready to give up the crown just yet
Always looking for the best stories. The dream is that in individual/team sports that one match can decide it. Coincidentally, that’s why two of my favorite sports are tennis and wrestling. Though both are team sports, it’s also very much geared toward the individual.
So you hope just maybe one time one match at a certain weight class or one match on the court will determine a championship. It did on Wednesday in the Edmond Tournament.
In this corner, Ann Pepper of Edmond North against Bishop McGuinness’ Ashleigh Chiaf in the No. 1 singles championship. Teams were guaranteed a 1-2 finish, but it was this match that would determine how it went.
Both North assistant Bryan Duroy and Irish head coach Vicki Connelly were very pleased with the effort that saw Chiaf win 6-4, 6-3, to give the Irish the team title. Trinian O’Neil also helped out in the cause by winning the No. 2 singles title.
Maybe it wasn’t fair to write off the Irish after the Heritage Hall Tournament of Champions. This was a nice statement made by the Irish girls, and I believe between Chiaf, Pepper and Heritage Hall’s Sarah Bowen, you’re looking at the top three players in the Oklahoma City area.
Chiaf is a really a story worth telling (I will, don’t worry). Waiting in the wings since she was a freshman, the Missouri signee is showing that not only can she handle being the top player, she can also handle leading the team.
Hey, just a tough day to pick where you wanted to be. Deer Creek-Norman North baseball? Josh Richardson signing with Tennessee? Top-notch tennis tournament?
Enid won both doubles championships and gotta believe the Pacers are going to play a role in the team race next month.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Edmond North’s David Hager a tennis name to watch
Edmond North assistant tennis coach Bryan Duroy had talked to me in the past about freshman David Hager. I didn’t get a chance to see him at the Heritage Hall Tournament of Champions.
And though I knew the name, I didn’t know the face. So I got to Kickingbird on Monday and had no idea what Hager looked like. It turns out I was running into him a lot, just had no idea who he was.
He’s easy to miss because you seriously do not think he should be in high school. He has no size on him at all. He’s not tall, he’s not tall, but get him on the court and look out.
He doesn’t overpower you, but he is a human backboard. He gets every shot back and frustrates you. You have to be so mentally strong to be able to beat someone like that. To go with that, he does a great job of playing with precision. In the championship match, you could count his unforced errors on one hand.
And I admit I smiled a little bit because that that was the exact same way I used to play. Shocker of all shocker, but I’ve always been a small guy. I don’t possess power, but I could rally with someone until they forced the action and made the mistake.
But Hager’s is light years better than I was. And it was a treat to watch him work against Bishop McGuinness’ Jonathan Kraft.
Kraft, a two-time state champion, didn’t play badly. He hit a lot of good shots that would have been winners against other players. Hager somehow found a way to get all the shots back en route to a 6-0, 6-2 victory.
While Hager opened my eyes, the whole Edmond North team was dominant in sweeping the Edmond Tournament. Hager is undefeated this season. It’s going to be fun to watch him develop as a player in the future.
Look for a video with Hager on NewsOK on Tuesday. You can watch and see that it remains true that you cannot judge a book by its cover. He packs a lot of game in that frame of his.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Tennis rankings for Week of April 11
No changes here as the tennis committee hasn’t met yet. But just for a refresher:
6A Boys
1. Edmond North
2. Tulsa Union
3. Jenks
4. Edmond Memorial
5. Broken Arrow
6. Enid
7. Putnam City North
8. Norman North
9. Mustang
10. Norman
No complaints here. Edmond North is clearly the best team. Like I said before, Putnam North prob has the best singles players, but nobody can touch depth of Huskies.
6A Girls
1. Jenks
2. Edmond North
3. Enid
4. Edmond Memorial
5. Broken Arrow
6. Owasso
7. Bartlesville
8. Muskogee
9. Mustang
10 (tie). Edmond Santa Fe, Sand Springs
Gets a little interesting. Edmond North will be tinkering with that lineup until regionals. Once it is set, again, think the Huskies are the best. Enid is a dangerous team that doesn’t quite have the depth but will cause chaos at state.
5A Boys
1. Bishop Kelley
2. Ada
3. Bishop McGuinness
4. Durant
5. Carl Albert
6. Duncan
7. Ardmore
8. Shawnee
9. Deer Creek
10. McAlester
Tough to bet against the Comets here. Ada is always in the mix, but this would appear to be Bishop Kelley’s to lose.
5A Girls
1. Bishop McGuinness
2. Duncan
3. Bishop Kelley
4. Tahlequah
5. Booker T. Washington
6. Ada
7. Ardmore
8. Carl Albert
9. Tulsa Edison
10. Durant
The big question mark in the state, if you ask me. Will the Irish hold off Duncan for their 13th consecutive team title? This is not a slam dunk this year, no sirree.
4A Boys
1. Metro Christian
2. Heritage Hall
3. Cascia Hall
4. Oklahoma Christian School
5. Anadarko
6. Oologah
7. Beaver
8. Sperry
9. Piedmont
10. Elk City
The Patriots should have all the confidence in the world after recent performances. Solid group that is poised to own outright title.
4A Girls
1. Heritage Hall
2. Cascia Hall
3. Perry
4. Byng
5. St. Mary
6. Anadarko
7. Metro Christian
8. Elk City
9. Seminole
10. Clinton
Chargers feel like they should cruise to the championship, but we’ll all have to wait and see. A lot of experience for Dick Villaflor’s girls.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
Edmond North boys tennis team dominant at Tournament of Champs
Tennis
Tournament of Champions
At Heritage Hall
Boys
Team Scoring
1. Edmond North 32; 2. Metro Christian 23; 3. (tie) Heritage Hall, Putnam North 20. 5. Tulsa Union 18; 6. Tulsa Kelley 14; 7. Edmond Memorial 12; 8. Ada 9.
Championships
No. 1 singles: Haworth, PCN, def. Nate Roper, EN, 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 singles: Rodwell, PCN, def. Stein, EN, 7-5, 7-5
No. 1 doubles: Hager-Olsen, EN, def. Hays-Proctor, MC, 6-4, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Lilley-Spring, EN, def. Cohlmia-Shear, HH, 6-2, 6-1
The battle lines have been drawn. Putnam City North has arguably the two best singles players in the state in Chris Haworth and Wil Rodwell. Edmond North has easily the deepest team of anybody in the state.
So when state comes around, might we get something eerily similar to what transpired this weekend? The Huskies playing for all four championships shows just how strong from top-to-bottom that group is.
Haworth bounced back beautifully after the loss in the USTA event Wednesday. If anything, I think that loss should have given him even more confidence. If he can contend on the world stage, he’s going to be able to certainly dictate play at the high school level.
The biggest statement, for me, would be from Metro Christian. The Patriots have had their fair share of solid players and tied for the championship last year. Would not shock me to see Patriots win it outright this time around.
All ‘n all, everything you would expect from this great tournament. A lot of quality play, and you can kinda gauge where the teams are at midway through the season.
No dominant team in girls tennis
Tennis
Tournament of Champions
At Heritage Hall
Girls
Team scoring: 1. Edmond Memorial 25; 2. (tie) Edmond North, Jenks 22; 4. (tie) McGuinness, Enid 20; 6. Duncan 16; 7. Heritage Hall 15; 8. Cascia Hall 8.
Championships
No. 1 singles: Chiaf, McGuinness, def. Bowen, Heritage Hall, 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 singles: Montgomery, Edmond Memorial, def. Hayes, Edmond North
No. 1 doubles: Pepper-Reed, Edmond North, def. Waldron-Wei, Jenks, 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Dick-Zaloudek, Enid, def. Siegler-Siegler, Jenks, 6-3, 7-6
Chiaf earns title
It’s evident that the Bishop McGuinness girls tennis team won’t be the dominant force that it’s been in recent years.
But don’t think the Irish still won’t be in the hunt for another state championship. Senior Ashleigh Chiaf earned the No. 1 singles championship with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Heritage Hall’s Sarah Bowen on Friday afternoon at the Tournament of Champions at Heritage Hall.
It was the first time the girls had played against each other in two years when Bowen had defeated Chiaf at this same tournament.
“It was about ‘want to’ today,” Chiaf said. “I really wanted this win. We always play tough matches, but I was able to persevere in the tough points.”
It is the first year at singles for Chiaf after winning three state championships in doubles.
Bowen had a three-set battle with Piper Huey of Jenks in the semifinals, while Chiaf cruised to the final. Chiaf was really on her game in this tournament. You can tell that she is taking a lot of pride in being a senior and leading this team.
Bulldogs win team championship
If Friday’s competition was any indication of what the state tournament is going to be like, it’s an open field.
Four different teams won the individual championships with Edmond Memorial taking home the team title.
For the Bulldogs, it was about consistency. Every player won at least two matches and No. 2 singles player Megan Montgomery earned the championship with a win against Edmond North’s Annie Hayes.
The Huskies and Jenks tied for second, while McGuinness and Enid tied for fourth in the eight-team field.
Gonna be interesting to see the lineups being tinkered with. Definitely think Edmond North is going to be fluctuating all season until coach Dee Ann Wallar makes up her mind. A lot of talent there, just about finding the right spot.
Kinda surprised that Edmond Memorial took home the crown but says a lot about what Randy Mays is doing there. You go 9-3 against a field like this, well, you have nothing to be ashamed about.
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Robert Przybylo, bprzybylo@opubco.com
