Heading into the Metro Tournament on Oct. 3, the boys’ varsity tennis team had victories over Bellevue East, Omaha North, and Omaha Benson. They also earned first place at the Omaha North Invitational in September which helped them earn the title of Team of the Year at the Metro Tournament.

The Metro Tennis Association (MTA) along with all the coaches in the district voted for the team on the same day as the tournament. Head coach Ricardo Hernandez attributes the boy’s success to the leadership of seniors July Moo and Arvin (AJ) Membreno.

“They [Moo and Membreno] are very strong players who can stay on the court for a long time,” Hernandez said. “They are very stable and strong leaders who help others understand the game better.”

This was shown by Moo’s hour-long match against Gross Catholic High School. Moo started out losing but came back from 7-4, forcing a tie break where he lost 8-1.

“I was really upset after the match because I had lost in a tie breaker. I think I could have beaten him, but I was really upset about that,” Moo said.

Moo and Membreno have both played on the team for four years and have 25 combined match wins this season.

“I am able to keep the ball in play more and have become more consistent,” Membreno said.

Being willing to work with other players on the team and build up their skills, the two have contributed to a can-do attitude on the court.

“They are very consistent to learning new things, and never give up,” Hernandez said.

Younger players on the team have also recognized how Moo and Membreno have helped the team.

“They are a great asset to the team,” junior Hsee Htoo said. “They are two strong-minded people who fought from a beginning position to the top. AJ and July are the yin and yang to each other.”

For next season, Hernandez sees lots of potential and emerging leaders such as juniors Gabe Robles and Miguel Silva.