Kap Smith was calm but angry. He was pumped. He was confident. He was fuming with rage. He screamed. He slammed his tennis racket into the court with frustration. He threw it in the air with elation.
He also appeared defeated.
Down a set and trailing 4-0 in the second in the Class 5A boys tennis No. 1 singles championship match Saturday at the Gates Tennis Center, Smith spiked his racket on the court and received a point penalty for launching a ball nearly over the fence. He scolded himself out loud: “Kap, have you ever played this bad in your life?”
The pep talk to himself worked. Smith fought back to win the next six games and force the third set.
The Boulder sophomore completed his remarkable rally and defeated Cherry Creek junior Ryan James in three sets (5-7, 6-4, 6-4).
“I was really nervous in the beginning, but I was excited. And then I kind of calmed down,” Smith said. “I broke (James) twice in the first set and I felt really confident, but I lost somehow. That kind of got me frustrated.”
Smith was in command during the third set, leaving James without a lot of time to adjust.
“When I felt committed to the attack, I played very well,” James said. “And then when (Smith) started lobbing it a little bit higher, I felt it took me out of my comfort zone a little bit because I had to come in off a higher ball.”
As James sent the final ball into the net, Smith, with a wad of tissues shoved up his nostrils because of a nose bleed, joyfully released his racket into the air.
Cherry Creek won the team state title for the fifth consecutive year. It’s the Bruins’ 41st title overall.
Sun Devils extend 4A reign. Kent Denver junior Casey Ross beat Discovery Canyon freshman Nick Lorenz in the Class 4A boys No. 1 singles final at Pueblo City Park. Ross won the title in two sets (6-3, 6-1).
Kent Denver was in every final and dropped No. 3 singles and Nos. 3 and 4 doubles matches to Colorado Academy, which finished second.
The Sun Devils took home a third consecutive 4A team title.
Morgan Dzakowic: 303-954-1275, mdzakowic@denverpost.com or @morgandzak
CLASS 5A
Top team results
Cherry Creek, 75
Fairview, 51
Denver East, 47
Regis Jesuit, 46
Boulder, 46
Championship matches
No. 1 singles: Kap Smith, Boulder (So.), def. Ryan James, Cherry Creek (Jr.), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 singles: Jackson Hawk, Boulder (Sr.), def. Charlie Franks, Denver East (So.), 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 singles: Mitch Johnson, Cherry Creek (So.), def. Cutter Esson, Boulder (Sr.), 6-3, 7-6
No. 1 doubles: Steven Bummer and Erich Nuss, Regis Jesuit, def. Jacob Bendalin and Erin Norwood, Cherry Creek, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Patrick Seby and Luca Abbott, Regis Jesuit, def. Andy Duggan and Andy Hsu, Cherry Creek, 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 doubles: Ben Murray and Spencer Buted, Cherry Creek, def. Evan Nuss and Kosta Garger, Regis Jesuit, 7-6, 7-6
No. 4 doubles: David Glazer and Will Burton, Denver East, def. David Zhao and Aaron Nguyen, Fairview, 6-2, 6-3
CLASS 4A
Top team results
Kent Denver, 89
Colorado Academy, 72
Niwot, 35
Discovery Canyon, 27
Cheyenne Mtn., 23
Championship matches
No. 1 singles: Casey Ross, Kent Denver (Jr.), def. Nick Lorenz, Discovery Canyon (Fr.), 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 singles: Willie Gold, Kent Denver (Sr.), def. Richter Jordaan, Colorado Academy (Fr.), 6-2, 6-4
No. 3 singles: Noah Forman, Colorado Academy (Sr.), def. Niko Hereford, Kent Denver (Jr.), 6-4, 6-4
No. 1 doubles: Kevin Adams and Jack Moldenhauer, Kent Denver, def. Quinn Bermingham and Tyler Fairbairn, Colorado Academy, 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 doubles: Blake Parsons and Drew Parsons, Kent Denver, def. Brent Edwards and Jordan Wagner, Colorado Academy, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
No. 3 doubles: John Barron and Steven Mitchell, Colorado Academy, def. Travis Rase and Laird Stewart, Kent Denver, 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 doubles: Brendan Schwartz and Garrett Sutter, Colorado Academy, def. Alex Wimer and Oliver Greenwald, Kent Denver, 6-2, 7-6
