Ridgeview's Austin Allen returns serve while playing a singles match against Redmond's Skyler Jones at Sam Johnson Park in Redmond on Wednesday.

REDMOND — Not long ago, the Redmond boys tennis team was eyeing a run that could have resulted in multiple state titles.

After capturing the Class 5A state team title in 2019, coach Nathan Saito saw 2020 as a year the squad could have repeated as champions, and 2021 as a year his team would be seeking a three-peat.

The COVID-19 pandemic put an end to that possible string of state titles. However, winning the state championship, let alone repeating, is not what the program has been about.

“We don’t really have goals like that. One of our mottos is to go out and play every match to win,” Saito said. “Just go out and play hard. That takes a little pressure off. It is a good group of kids. I say this before every match: the goal is to play good tennis and have good sportsmanship, and that is what they do.”

That formula has continued to work after the 2020 season was canceled and no state tournament is scheduled this spring after a short six-week season. With two matches remaining in the season and a district tournament on the horizon, the Panthers have yet to lose a match as a team. Their most recent win came May 5 in a 7-1 victory over Ridgeview at Sam Johnson Park in Redmond.

“I would say we are having an up year while the rest of the league is kind of down,” Saito said of the Intermountain Conference. “It has been nice to get out and play competitively. We have a good crop of seniors who have put a lot of time in here, and this year we would have been competitive (at state). We are thankful that we could even play.”

A new crop of leaders is paving the way for the Redmond program. Gone are Benny Saito, 2019 doubles state champion, and Breaden Brooks, who finished third in the singles state tournament in 2019. Now it’s the younger Saito brother, Yoshi, and Skyler Jones, the second half of the doubles championship duo with Benny Saito, in charge of guiding the team.

“I just hope to inspire the younger guys and help improve their skills and just make them better,” said Jones, a senior playing his final weeks of high school tennis before hitting the hardwood for basketball. “I want to get better and improve my skills but I also want them to succeed as well, pushing them and encouraging them and cheering them on.”

In an individual-driven sport like tennis, keeping skills sharp is important so as not to get passed up by other players. Jones and Yoshi Saito play multiple times per week, and from time to time, square off against each other to improve.

“We will occasionally hit at Eagle Crest (Resort) because it is good to challenge yourself by playing people of equal or better ability than you, so it is important for us to be hitting and playing each other,” Jones said.

“When I can hang with him it’s fun,” said Yoshi Saito, a junior. “When he is whooping me it isn’t.”

Although there is some disappointment that there is no state tournament this year, the Redmond program is enjoying the home stretch of the season with upcoming dual meets against Hood River Valley and Crook County next week, before the Intermountain Conference Tournament returns.

“It will be fun to make a run at districts,” Yoshi Saito said. “I think our eyes were set on state this year and last year. But it is too late for that now. We are just out here having fun.”