Shorewood boys tennis team wins the State Championship

Shorewood boys tennis team with coach Arnie Moreno
The team won the first ever state tennis championship for Shorewood

The Shorewood Boys tennis team and Coach Arnie Moreno had a goal to win a team trophy and earn individual medals.

The Wesco South Champions and District 1 Champions, had qualified 6 players for the state tennis championship tournament in Vancouver, WA at the Vancouver Tennis Center May 22 and 23, 2026. 

After winning the league championship and qualifying and winning their third straight District 1 team championship last Fall, they had a long wait through the Winter. The state tournament is held on Memorial Day weekend while the boys play their season in September and October. 

(L-R) Xander Gordon, 4th Place Singles; Drew Johnson & Zack Binz; Riley Boyd & Eli Sheffield, 5th Place Doubles; Seb Sanchez, 7th Place Singles. Photo by Leslie Boyd

Xander Gordon was the District singles Champion, Seb Sanchez placed 2nd in singles, Riley Boyd and Eli Sheffield were District Doubles Champions and Drew Johnson and Zack Binz placed second in doubles.

The team prepared themselves for the long wait through Winter and continued to sharpen their tennis skills. Their trip to the state tournament was going to be very challenging. 

Coach Arnie Moreno had been in this position before with a great team. They knew they were going to face the state's best 3A tennis teams, multiple state tennis team champions Mercer Island, Seattle Prep, Lakeside, Interlake and Bellevue.

Shorewood's lone entry for the girls' state tennis tournament was senior Micah Crose. She lost her first match but came back to win her second match before being eliminated in her third match of the day. 

Coach Moreno told her to be proud of her accomplishments this Spring girls' season. She was outstanding in her matches and proved to herself, what Coach Moreno told her, that she belonged at state as one of the state's best girls' singles players.

For the boys, the first day was a battle to stay in the tournament and win a match in the early brackets to qualify for the Saturday medal rounds. Gordon and Sanchez both won their first-round matches and lost in their quarterfinal match. They refocused themselves and came back to win in the consolation round to earn a shot at a medal. 

The only problem was that the two teammates were going to face each other. They had practiced together many times during the season but now the medals were on the line. 

Xander Gordon. Photo by Leslie Boyd

Gordon was able to prevail in a battle of long rallies and amazing shot-making by both. 

Senior Gordon won the 4th place award and junior Sanchez won the 7th place state award. They shook hands and congratulated each other, as they were Shorewood teammates and friends.

The doubles teams also had very tough competition. Junior Drew Johnson and partner senior Zack Binz were competing in their first state tournament. 

They played their usual aggressive style with Johnson being the closer at net with strong volleys and Binz with his precision and sharp shot making, but they lost a very close match. 

They faced a very good team from Shorecrest in an elimination match and lost. 

Coach Moreno reminded them to be proud of their season and their accomplishment to play at the state tournament. Moreno feels confident that junior Drew Johnson will be back to state next year.

Seniors Boyd and Sheffield were at their third straight state tournament and had placed 7th in state twice in past state tournaments.

Their experience prepared them for meeting the challenges from some of the best state doubles teams. They were prepared for the toughest matches and extreme pressure. They were upset in their first match by a good Walla Walla team that were able to get some momentum and won the first set. 

Boyd and Sheffield had a slow start but came back to win the second set to set up a very tough third set. Shorewood team just fell short and lost their first match, but they knew they were not out of the tournament yet.

Coach Moreno talked to them about refocusing themselves, supporting each other through tough matches, because know they knew they could not falter. Coach Moreno felt confident they would give it everything they had.

 
They came back to win a tough third set after splitting sets, losing the first set, with a very good University High School team from Spokane.

Boyd and Sheffield were down 1-4 in the third and deciding set as they talked to Coach Moreno. He reminded them that they had to fight for every point and find a way to make adjustments. Coach told them he had seen many teams come back from a 1-4 score. "Hold your serve and break their serve and it's a new match" Moreno told them. 

Their mental toughness kicked in. They came back to win 7-5. Parents and friends were on the edge of their seats! They won their next match in straight sets versus a good team from Thomas Jefferson. 

This win set up a medal's showdown versus familiar opponents from Shorecrest High School, Johnson and Weber, who had defeated Shorewood's Johnson and Binz in an earlier match. 

The match didn't start out very well for Shorewood as the Shorecrest team came out aggressively and won the first set 6-3. Coach Moreno knew he had to settle them down and get them to reset themselves mentally. He reminded them that it was only the first set and that it took two sets to win. "Fight for every point, look for weakness and stay positive." Coach talked to them about strategic adjustments and to trust their experience and skills. 

Riley Boyd. Photo by Leslie Boyd

They regrouped and came back to with the second set 7-5. The third set was extremely close again. Both teams battled to a 5-5 score before Boyd and Sheffield gained some momentum with amazing shot making and gritty determination. 

They won 7-5 and placed 5th in state. Their third straight state tennis award! 

The Shorewood teammates, parents and friends erupted in loud cheering!

Coach Moreno knew the team was close to winning a team trophy. Coaches started coming up to him and shaking his hand to congratulate him. 

No one had told him, during the Boyd and Sheffield match, that if the Shorewood doubles team won, they had a shot at winning the state championship. Coach Moreno's wife, Rebecca, told him she overheard coaches from other teams talking during the match about a Shorewood doubles victory that would win the team championship. 

Shorewood players with their parents
Photo by Arnie Moreno

Shorewood's Athletic Director Joann Fukuma, confirmed to Coach Moreno that unofficially Shorewood had the lead after the Boyd and Sheffield win. 

The WIAA State Team Championship trophy was presented to Coach Arnie Moreno and his team! The parents, friends and team were jubilant. 

Shorewood had won its first ever WIAA 3A State Tennis Championship!

 
Coach Moreno told his team how proud he was of them. "It is still sinking in that we had accomplished the biggest goal there is in state tennis " said Coach Moreno. A great moment for Shorewood High School, the Shoreline Community and for Shorewood Tennis history.