Golding Leads Eatonville Tennis at SPSL Tournament

The Eatonville High School boys tennis team fought through rain delays, long rallies, and tough draws during the South Puget Sound League (SPSL) Tournament held Wednesday and Thursday at Clover Park High School and the Lakewood Racquet & Sport Club.

Eatonville's Holden Hetland, Jackson Rockey, Jacob Golding, Nate Diamond pose for a photo during the SPSL League Championships this past week. Photo: Maryann Baker

Led by senior Jacob Golding, the Cruisers delivered strong performances across both singles and doubles play, marking another step forward for the program.

Golding, seeded No. 2, opened the tournament with back-to-back straight-set victories on Wednesday — 6-0, 6-0 over Jackson Mohn of Washington High and 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) over Axel Cabiles of Clover Park.

On Thursday, he faced the league’s toughest competition, falling 5-7, 3-6 to eventual tournament champion Giovanni Rosales of Washington and 6-1, 1-6, 1-6 to Aries Ramos of Franklin Pierce after a one-hour rain delay midway through the third set.

The strong showing earned Golding the No. 5 seed at next week’s District Tournament, where he’ll face the Olympic League’s No. 4 player at the Kitsap Tennis Center in Bremerton.

“Jacob played with a lot of grit and determination,” said head coach Maryann Baker. “He’s incredibly consistent, which led to long points with the top three players in the league. He’ll continue to be a top singles competitor at Districts.”

Four singles players from Districts will move on to the 2A State Tournament in the spring.

Senior Carl Lucas, the tournament’s No. 11 seed, showed resilience throughout his draw. After dropping his first match to Elias Yi of Steilacoom 3-6, 4-6, he rebounded with a 6-0, 6-4 win over teammate Nate Diamond.

On Thursday, Lucas rolled past No. 5 seed Riley Brunk of Foss 6-0, 6-0 before falling 3-6, 0-6 to Franklin Pierce’s Harrison Ha.

“Carl’s been to Districts before — in singles when we were 1A and last year in 2A doubles,” Baker said. “That experience really showed in how he adjusted and competed.”

Sophomore Nate Diamond, seeded No. 14, faced a challenging opening draw. He fell 2-6, 2-6 to eventual champion Rosales and 0-6, 2-6 to Lucas in his first singles appearance.

Eatonville earned a third singles entry this year after finishing tied for third place in the league — a milestone achievement for the program.

“This was Nate’s first-ever singles match,” Baker said. “He performed well in a tough spot, and we’re excited to have him back next year. He’ll continue to be an asset to this team.”

Eatonville’s top doubles pair, Jackson Rockey and Ethan Stogsdill, entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed. They opened with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over White River’s Jacob Jamieson and Lonnys Valvoda before a rain delay disrupted their second match.

The duo led 4-0 in the second set against Steilacoom’s Jett Folino and Ryan Pham when rain halted play for nearly two hours. After the delay, momentum shifted and Eatonville fell 4-6, 5-7.

On Thursday, Rockey and Stogsdill bounced back with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Fife’s Nathan Chang and Kolten Clary before losing 5-7, 1-6 to Franklin Pierce’s Edan Le and Milan Demikov.

“Their chemistry was really strong,” Baker said. “Jackson’s crosscourt forehands and dominant serves were huge, and Ethan’s athleticism and aggressiveness at the net gave them an edge in every match.”

Eatonville’s second doubles team, Steven Haas and Blake Pool, faced tough competition as the No. 10 seed, losing 3-6, 1-6 to Washington’s Seth Dove and Bryce Spencer and 0-6, 3-6 to Franklin Pierce’s Ryan Armstrong and Brandon Liwanag.

“Steven and Blake played long, grinding points,” Baker said. “Blake was steady at the baseline, and Steven mixed things up with drop shots and deep crosscourt balls.”

Another Eatonville doubles pair, Gui Vilahverde-Araujo and Holden Hetland, made their debut as a team and nearly advanced past their opening qualifier. They fell just short in a tight match, 5-7, 7-5, 7-10, to Franklin Pierce’s Armstrong and Liwanag.

“Even though it was their first time playing together, Gui and Holden were very competitive,” Baker said. “They worked well as a team, moved quickly, and dominated points with their serves.”

With Golding advancing and several underclassmen gaining postseason experience, Baker said the team continues to make strides each year.

“This group showed heart and toughness across the board,” she said. “Every player improved this season, and that’s what makes this team so rewarding to coach.”

The District Tournament begins Thursday at the Kitsap Tennis Center in Bremerton, where Golding will look to punch his ticket to the 2A State Tournament.