The 2025-26 Centaurus boys’ varsity tennis season has been full of growth, challenges, memorable moments, teamwork, and opportunities to represent the school with pride. This year, the team took on numerous teams across the state in matches and tournaments, balancing skill development with building strong relationships both on and off the court. To get a deeper look at the season and each player’s unique experience, I interviewed several players to get their insight.
From intense practice sessions to thrilling matches, this season has been filled with moments that stood out to the players. When asked about his favorite moment of his season, junior Eli Greene recalled “My favorite memory of the season was building community with the varsity players at various tournaments, bus rides, and hotel rooms,” while Ben Thomas, a junior at CHS, similarly stated, “My highlight of the season was spending time with the team at our annual Grand Junction tournament and made a lot of memories.” Likewise to the other players, senior Zach Gablehouse added, “My favorite memory from this season was going to Grand Junction to compete and hang out with the team.”
For players looking to improve their game, the athletes offered some words of advice. Senior captain Zach Gablehouse stated, “The best advice I can give to someone looking to improve in tennis is to find other people to hit with and play as much as possible. Tennis is a great game to enjoy with friends and easy to organize; all you need is one person to hit with. Playing as often as you can with the interest of having fun will provide more motivation to continue to enjoy the game and add more complexity to your practice. Taking things one step at a time, enjoying the sport, and playing frequently are easy ways to see immense improvement.” Additionally, Ben Thomas said, “Some advice I have for someone starting tennis is try to enjoy it the first few times you please so you keep coming back to it and eventually you should get some coaching because everyone can learn something”. His doubles partner, Eli Greene, also included similar advice, saying, “To start or improve as a player, come to practices! Tennis practices start before school in the summer and go every day until the end of the season.”
Although the team has celebrated many successes, the season was not without its hardships. The Warriors faced tough opponents and other challenges that tested their resilience. “This season, I was challenged by competing at a higher level than last year, and being in a region with one of the best teams in the state, Regis Jesuit.” said Greene, reflecting on the amount of skill playing at a higher level requires. Another player added, “A challenge [he] faced this season was having to wake up at 4 am for tournaments and some of the matches [he] had were very challenging. For example, the Steamboat match at Grand Junction and against Broomfield at our regionals was very competitive and challenging.” These experiences have helped the players grow both in skill and character, while building beneficial skills for future matches.
This year, the team also engaged with the community through events like the 5A state tournament, an annual and challenging event for players of outstanding skill and remarkable season scores. The tournament, taking place at Denver Tennis Park in Denver, included qualifying pairs #1 doubles (Eli Greene and Ben Thomas) and #3 doubles (Neal Blackwelder and Sam Vigmostad). These opportunities have helped the players meet and play against contestants from around Colorado to gain valuable experience beyond regular competition.
As the season comes to a close, the Centaurus boy’s varsity tennis team can reflect on a year filled with commitment, camaraderie, and individual growth. Many players have already expressed excitement about returning next year to build on the progress they’ve made, with sophomore Holden Meese noting he “would love to play again next year” with a goal to “have fun and keep improving”. Throughout the season, the team formed lasting bonds and developed valuable skills that will serve them well in future competitions. Congratulations to the Warriors on an impressive 25-26 season!
