ALBUQUERQUE – The Farmington High girls doubles team of Marley Deswood and Hannah Yazzie completed a resilient postseason run Thursday, capturing the NMAA Class 5A state championship at the Jerry Cline Tennis Center.
The second-seeded Scorpions duo outlasted Rio Rancho’s Ella Jones and Cassie Jones in a three-set thriller, rallying from a set down to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
The championship victory was defined by Farmington’s composure under pressure. After dropping the opening set, Deswood and Yazzie found their rhythm at the net to force a third frame. In the final set, the Scorpions notched a crucial late break to secure the title and the blue trophy.
“Rio Rancho came out like gangbusters and we were down for quite awhile,” said Farmington High tennis coach Pat McGrath. “(Yazzie) started improving her serve and her footwork and this allowed (Deswood) to roam the net and be aggressive.”
The path to the final was equally grueling for the Scorpions. In the Thursday morning semifinal, Deswood and Yazzie faced a stiff challenge from the third-seeded Centennial pair of Annie Lee and Isabelle Lescombes. Farmington narrowly took the first set in a tiebreak before pulling away for a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory.
“The girls started slow with their first match against Centennial. They could not find a rhythm and had to really fight to win that match,” McGrath said. “(Deswood) is our captain and it came down to her winning her serve to win the match and Hannah did a great job being aggressive and winning key points in that last game.”
Rio Rancho’s path to the final included a dominant 6-0, 6-0 sweep of Santa Fe’s Carmen Valentino and Siena Valentino in the other semifinal.
Despite the semifinal loss, the Valentino sisters rebounded to take third place, defeating Centennial 6-2, 6-1.
The opening day of the NMAA State Tennis Championships was a rollercoaster for San Juan County’s top boys’ singles players. While the Farmington and Piedra Vista High contingents showed immense heart, the bracket proved why Class 5A is the most grueling classification in the state.
Here is how the action unfolded for our local Scorpions and Panthers:
Conner Clark (#5 Seed, Farmington)
The standout performance for Farmington came from the fifth-seeded Clark. He dominated his opening match against Roxas Kendall (Las Cruces), moving efficiently around the court to secure a 6-1, 6-0 victory. However, Clark ran into a defensive wall in the quarterfinals against #4 Cristian Olson (ABQ), falling 6-0, 6-0 as Olson continued his tear through the bracket.
Brandt Edwards (Piedra Vista)
Edwards authored the most dramatic comeback of the day. Facing Elijah Perea (Las Cruces), Edwards dropped the first set 4-6 and looked to be on the ropes. He dug in for a marathon second-set tiebreak, winning it 7-3, before clinching the match with a 6-3 third set. His reward for that grit was a quarterfinal date with #2 Mitchell Rocca, where Edwards eventually fell 6-0, 6-1.
Early Round Results
Cyrus LeSueur (PV): LeSueur looked sharp in his tournament debut, taking down Sean Erosido (Carlsbad) with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win. Unfortunately, his path led directly to the tournament’s top seed, Ketan Garg (LAC), who ended LeSueur’s run in the quarterfinals with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep.
Julian Olson (ABQ) vs. Local Ties: While not from the area, it is worth noting that Julian Olson ended the run of #6 Lucas Bluth in a three-set thriller, setting the stage for an All-Albuquerque semifinal on one side of the bracket.
The highlight of the early session was a first-round clash between two Scorpions: #6 Haylie Wagner and teammate Mya Beck.
The Result: Wagner, the tournament’s sixth seed, showed why she was favored, putting together a consistent performance to win 6-1, 6-1.
The Quarterfinal: Moving into the second round, Wagner faced a daunting task against the #3 seed, Lily Walker (Cleveland). Despite a hard-fought second set, Wagner fell 6-2, 6-4, ending her impressive singles run in the quarterfinal round.
The top-seeded Savannah Reiman (Organ Mountain) has been untouchable, dropping only two games across two matches on Wednesday (6-0, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-1). She will face #4 Sabina Byers (Santa Fe) in the semifinals.
The Bottom Half: On the other side of the bracket, #2 Aurelia Fulgenzi (Albuquerque High) lived up to her ranking with a 6-0, 6-0 quarterfinal win. She will face #3 Lily Walker—who knocked out Farmington’s Wagner—in what promises to be a high-caliber semifinal match.
Deswood and Yazzie put on a clinic on the opening day. They entered the tournament with high expectations and exceeded them in their opening match.
Facing the Albuquerque High pair of Ginger Carrell and Asha Martinez, the Scorpions played nearly perfect tennis. They secured a 6-0, 6-0 victory, showcasing a dominant net game and powerful serving.
In the quarterfinals, Yazzie and Deswood kept the momentum rolling against Emily Bjorklund and Ava Evans from Clovis. While the match tightened up, the Farmington pair remained composed to secure a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Team tennis state championships will be handed out this weekend.