Cougars Tennis Blends State Contenders With New Faces Entering Season

The Chewelah Cougars tennis team this season has elite experience at the top of the lineup and a large group of newcomers learning the game. Their coaching staff is sporting familiar faces as well with Chewelah Mayor Lindsay Baxter stepping in as assistant coach.

Head Coach Denise Smith said the team features some of the strongest players she has coached, alongside many athletes who are new to tennis. Despite the challenge of balancing experienced players with beginners, Smith said the program’s coaching staff is helping guide the team through the transition.

“Good thing I have a great assistant, Chewelah Mayor Lindsay Baxter, and a superb volunteer coach, Kris Grooms, to help me out,” Smith said.

Leading the Cougars on the girls side is junior Simi Sahota, who has already built an impressive resume at the state level.

“She has gotten second place at state three consecutive times to her sister Avi, who has now graduated and is at the University of Washington,” Smith said.

Sahota is expected to again contend for a state berth this season.

“She will be challenged by [St. George’s top singles player], but that should be her biggest challenge,” Smith said.

Chewelah also returns a strong doubles pairing that could factor into postseason play.

“My first girls doubles team of senior Cora Grooms and senior Emily Howder should be a contender for state this year,” Smith said.

In the NE1B/2B format, only a limited number of players advance to the state tournament.

“Our league will send two singles and two doubles to state,” Smith said. “We do not have to play a crossover against another district.”

Beyond the top of the lineup, Smith said the roster features a wide range of experience levels.

While nearly half of the team’s roster is made up of seniors, many are still relatively new to the sport. The Cougars have also seen a strong group of freshmen join the program this season.

“I have a good turnout of freshmen who are friends of players but have no experience and some new kids I’ve never seen before,” Smith said.

On the boys side, Chewelah will field a small roster with four players.

“My boys have one senior, Alex Backman, and a junior, Luke Dituri, and a sophomore, Atticus Freeman, and a foreign exchange student, Kal Georgiev,” Smith said.

Although the Cougars bring some experience to the court, Smith said she expects tough competition within the league.

“Even though they have some experience, St. George’s will likely dominate the league with their boys,” Smith said.

Smith said one of the biggest advantages this season is the amount of coaching support available for players.

“Our strengths this year will be, each player will get a lot of individual help and will improve quickly because of the three coaches we have working together for the team,” Smith said.

The staff plans to emphasize both the mental and physical aspects of the sport as the season progresses.

With experienced leaders and a large group of players eager to learn, Smith said she believes the Cougars have the potential to enjoy a successful season.

“If we can stay healthy, we should have a great season,” Smith said.