The start of league play could not have gone any better for head coach Andrew Buchan and his Thomas Jefferson Raiders tennis team. After going undefeated last season, the Raiders picked up right where they left off with a commanding win against Auburn Mountainview on Sept. 9. Thomas Jefferson swept all five varsity matches.
“I think when other schools hope for victory, we expect victory at Thomas Jefferson,” said Buchan, who has been at the helm for Raiders boys’ tennis the past 35 years.
Tuesday’s win was highlighted by the top doubles pairing of Vincent and Jason Pham. They won their match 6-3, 6-2, against a gritty Auburn Mountainview team of Imani Brown and Vinh Nguyen.
“It’s my last season, so I just came out trying to win every point, go after every point, no matter how impossible it looked,” Vincent said, a senior.
“They did play a lot better than I expected,” said Jason, a junior. “They would struggle on their backhand, and that’s how we came out on top.”
TJ Raiders tennis player serves in their match against Auburn Mountainview. Nathan Hyun / For the Mirror
The Phams have been paired together since last season. They made it to the state tournament, but fell short of their expectations, placing ninth, just one place short of a medal.
“That was definitely a big match that’s sticking on my mind,” Vincent said. “Every time I practice, I remember that match and what I’m aiming for this season.”
And the goal they’re aiming for?
“I want to see a state trophy,” Vincent said. “I feel like hard work will always pay off, even when you fail. Staying consistent will always prevail.”
It’s an expectation that Buchan echoes. He believes this year’s squad has the potential to do something special.
“Our goal is to win state, and along the way we would like to win league and win districts,” he said. “They worked hard over the offseason, and they’re continuing to work hard now.”
Buchan’s confidence isn’t without precedent. During his tenure as boy’s head coach, he has an overall record of 350-66 and 20 league championships. But a boys state championship has remained elusive. His highest finish at state with the boys’ team was third in the 2014-2015 season, and his only tennis state title came with the girls’ team back in 2019.
This year, he says it could be different. Buchan says this season’s boys’ team is one of the best he’s ever had. Three players from last season’s state team have returned along with strong newcomers. But even with these high expectations, Buchan likes to keep his team humble.
“Every year is a new year where we’ll put expectations on that team, and whether we go undefeated or not. It happens sometimes, but that’s not a goal,” Buchan said.
Instead, his focus is on steady growth through league play. Buchan says he likes to break the season into quarters: practice matches, league play, postseason tournament, and state. Buchan preaches to his players the importance of taking it one match at a time.
“We can’t look past any team in league because if we have a bad day and they have a good day, things can happen,” Buchan said.
His players affirm this mindset.
“You can’t control the outcome,” Vincent said. “You can only control your effort, your intensity, your attitude. If we do that, I believe the results will follow.”
The season may have just begun, but for Buchan, his pursuit of a boys state title has been 35 years in the making.
In other matches, top singles player Wesley Curran shut out Auburn Mountainview’s Marcos Santiago 6-0, 6-0. TJ’s No. 2 singles Kai Gomez topped Joseph Davis 6-1, 6-0. No. 2 doubles team of Ian Lee and Lyle Lee defeated Lance Hipolito and Carter Chung 6-2, 6-0. And TJ’s No. 3 doubles team Sanchit Sharma and Sebastian Castro-Cervantes beat Auburn Mountainview’s Alex Fischuk and Obed Varguese 6-2, 6-4.
