THE SPOKESMAN • WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021 P7
Continuing dominance in tennis
With no state
tournament to look
toward, Redmond
boys still enjoying an
undefeated season
BY BRIAN RATHBONE
The Bulletin
R
EDMOND — Not long
ago, the Redmond boys
tennis team was eyeing a
run that could have resulted in
multiple state titles.
After capturing the Class 5A
state team title in 2019, coach
Nathan Saito saw 2020 as a
year the squad could have re-
peated as champions, and 2021
as a year his team would be
seeking a three-peat.
The COVID-19 pandemic
put an end to that possible
string of state titles. However,
winning the state champion-
ship, let alone repeating, is not
what the program has been
about.
“We don’t really have goals
like that. One of our mottos is
to go out and play every match
to win,” Saito said. “Just go out
and play hard. That takes a
little pressure off. It is a good
group of kids. I say this before
every match: the goal is to play
good tennis and have good
sportsmanship, and that is
what they do.”
That formula has contin-
ued to work after the 2020 sea-
son was canceled and no state
tournament is scheduled this
spring after a short six-week
season. With two matches re-
maining in the season and a
district tournament on the
horizon, the Panthers have yet
to lose a match as a team. Their
most recent win came May 5
in a 7-1 victory over Ridgeview
at Sam Johnson Park in Red-
mond.
“I would say we are hav-
ing an up year while the rest
of the league is kind of down,”
Saito said of the Intermountain
Conference. “It has been nice
to get out and play competi-
tively. We have a good crop of
seniors who have put a lot of
time in here, and this year we
would have been competitive
(at state). We are thankful that
we could even play.”
A new crop of leaders is
paving the way for the Red-
mond program. Gone are
Benny Saito, 2019 doubles
state champion, and Breaden
Brooks, who finished third in
the singles state tournament
in 2019. Now it’s the younger
Saito brother, Yoshi, and Sky-
ler Jones, the second half of
the doubles championship duo
with Benny Saito, in charge of
guiding the team.
“I just hope to inspire the
younger guys and help im-
prove their skills and just make
them better,” said Jones, a se-
nior playing his final weeks of
high school tennis before hit-
ting the hardwood for basket-
ball. “I want to get better and
improve my skills but I also
want them to succeed as well,
pushing them and encouraging
them and cheering them on.”
In an individual-driven
sport like tennis, keeping skills
sharp is important so as not to
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Redmond’s Yoshi Saito returns a shot while playing a singles match
against Ridgeview’s Walter Gates at Sam Johnson Park in Redmond on
May 5.
“When I can hang with him
it’s fun,” said Yoshi Saito, a ju-
nior. “When he is whooping
me it isn’t.”
Although there is some dis-
appointment that there is no
state tournament this year, the
Redmond program is enjoying
the home stretch of the sea-
son with upcoming dual meets
against Hood River Valley and
Crook County next week, be-
fore the Intermountain Con-
ference Tournament returns.
“It will be fun to make a run
at districts,” Yoshi Saito said. “I
think our eyes were set on state
this year and last year. But it is
too late for that now. We are
just out here having fun.”
ý
get passed up by other players.
Jones and Yoshi Saito play mul-
tiple times per week, and from
time to time, square off against
each other to improve.
“We will occasionally hit at
Eagle Crest (Resort) because it
is good to challenge yourself by
playing people of equal or bet-
ter ability than you, so it is im-
portant for us to be hitting and
playing each other,” Jones said.
Homer I. Clark
of Redmond, OR
Timothy J. Allen
of Bend, OR
Feb 19, 1928 - April 30,
2021
Arrangements:
Arrangements Entrusted
To: Redmond Memorial
Chapel; 541.548.3219.
Please visit www.redmond-
memorial.com to sign the
on-line guest book or to
leave a thought, memo-
ry, or condolence for the
family
Services:
Graveside services are
scheduled at Juniper Ha-
ven Cemetery, Prineville,
Friday, May 14, 2021 at
10:00 AM. Potluck to follow
service at Harwood Park,
Prineville
Contributions may be
made to:
A Charity of Your Choice
January 25, 1952 -
May 3, 2021
Arrangements:
Autumn Funerals, Bend
541-318-0842
www.autumnfunerals.net
Services:
Memorial services will be
held later
Contributions may be
made to:
Partners in Care Hospice,
2075 NE Wyatt Ct., Bend,
OR 97701
Fred Lewis Coulter
of Bend, OR
August 20, 1927 -
April 28, 2021
Arrangements:
Baird Funeral Home of
Bend is honored to serve
the Coulter family. Please
visit our website,
www.bairdfh.com, to share
condolences and sign our
online guest book.
Services:
1:00pm on May 15, 2021
at Finley-Sunset Hills
Memorial Park in Portland,
Oregon
Contributions may be
made to:
St. Charles Hospice
(https://foundation.
stcharleshealthcare.org/
donate)
Gloria J. Kuenzi
of Redmond, OR
February 3, 1939 -
May 2, 2021
Arrangements:
Arrangements Entrusted
To: Redmond Memorial
Chapel www.redmondme-
morial.com ; 541.548.3219
Services:
A Celebration of Life will be
planned for a future date
Contributions may be
made to:
American Diabetes
Association
John W. Bancroft Jr.
of Bend, OR
July 8, 1933 - May 3, 2021
Arrangements:
Baird Funeral Home of
Bend is honored to serve
the Bancroft family. Please
visit our website, www.
bairdfh.com, to share
condolences and sign
our online guest book.
541.382.0903
Services:
Family Service planned at
a later date.
Barbara Lynn Winters
of Redmond, OR
Dec 21, 1927 - May 3,
2021
Arrangements:
Autumn Funerals-RED-
MOND www.autumnfuner-
als.net 541-504-9485
Services:
Private services will be
held at a later date.
Lois Mae Maddox
of Terrebonne, OR
May 1, 1928 - April 29,
2021
Arrangements:
Autumn Funerals, Red-
mond 541-504-9485 www.
autumnfunerals.net
Services:
No Services will be held at
this time.
Maria Lockhart
of Redmond, OR
Aug 20, 1930 - April 27,
2021
Arrangements:
Autumn Funerals, Red-
mond 541-504-9485 www.
autumnfunerals.net
Services:
Services will be held at a
later date.
Reporter: 541-383-0307,
brathbone@bendbulletin.com