By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
You’ll have to forgive Del Rio head tennis coach Nolan Pritchard if it seems like his smile is permanently etched on his face.
For you see, the Del Rio tennis team has competed in six matches already this season. Their results – six wins, zero losses.
This weekend the team added a major tournament championship to its list of 2021 accomplishments as they won the 2021 Northside ISD Silver Team Tennis Invitational. Sixteen teams from around San Antonio, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley competed in the two-day event.
Del Rio opened the tournament Friday against San Antonio Holmes. They beat the Huskies, 10-0, to advance.
Next up was Uvalde. Del Rio dropped its first matches of the tournament, but in the end the Rams and Queens earned the win again, taking the match-up 10-2.
Saturday morning saw Del Rio face off against a familiar foe, District 30-6A rivals Laredo Alexander. In what Pritchard described as a “huge win,” Del Rio came away with a tough 10-8 win over the Bulldogs to advance to the finals of the tournament against San Antonio Health Careers. Health Careers had the advantage after Warren, their scheduled semifinal opponents, did not compete and had extra rest, but Del Rio was unfazed and won the championship, 10-8.
Del Rio began its season with an 11-8 win over Uvalde. The junior varsity team also earned a win, 19-14.
In its second match of the season, Del Rio faced San Angelo Lake View and picked up the win, 19-0.
Del Rio is next set to take on San Antonio Marshall and San Antonio Brennan Aug. 28. They’ll face Marshall at 9 a.m. and Brennan at 2 p.m.
“It’s going to be a fun year,” Pritchard said.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
