On the heels of its decisive win in the 2003 championships, Timpview will be looking to repeat when the 4A prep tennis tournament reconvenes at Liberty Park this weekend.
While he concedes that his team is the undisputed favorite to win again, Timpview coach Nate Warner isn't taking anything for granted.
"(The state championship) has been our goal all year," Warner said. "We don't talk about it a lot. We try to stay focused on one match at a time."
After winning the No. 1 singles title last year, Brad Ferguson returns as the favorite to repeat again in that position. The senior will play tennis at Utah State next year.
Teammate Kevin Stanworth is the favorite to repeat as the No. 2 singles champion. Stanworth is also planning to play collegiate tennis, but he hasn't decided where he will play yet.
Jason Johnson will be the Thunderbirds other singles player. Johnson, who was upset last year in the second round, is hoping for a better result at the tournament.
"I think (Jason) can learn from that experience," Warner said.
Mike Andrews and Adam Frederico will play at No. 1 doubles, while Brayden Evans and Jason Cohen will fill the No. 2 doubles slot.
Perhaps the team best suited to challenge Timpview is Bountiful. The Braves won the Region 5 tournament last weekend, marking the 10th consecutive time that coach Alex Lawrence has led Bountiful to a victory at the region championships.
As far as the state meet is concerned, Lawrence said the biggest key to his team's success is his doubles teams. Chance Murray and Richard Latham will play at No. 1 doubles, while Jon Latham and Shawn Snelson are in the No. 2 position.
"We're counting on our doubles teams," Lawrence said. "They have to win."
Lawrence said that the success of his doubles teams, coupled with a breakthrough against Timpview in singles, could put his team over the top. C.J. Adamson, Ryan Perry and Alex Shahan will fill those singles positions.
If Timpview and Bountiful emerge out of the first two rounds Friday, those teams would meet in four of the five matches Saturday morning in the semifinals.
"The state championship will probably be decided in the semifinals," Lawrence said.
That type of problem has some people calling for a different seeding system. Lawrence said it would be difficult to create something better.
"The kids my players beat at region have a better draw (at state)," Lawrence said, "but I don't think you can change it."
Orem and Logan were the other region winners. The Tigers boast two strong doubles teams. Logan is lead by Brian and Nate Ballan.
E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com