Boys tennis: Niwot's Charlie Kirtland is Longmont Times-Call player of the year
Nov. 22—Niwot coach Aimee Hites believes Cougars No. 3 singles player Charlie Kirtland could have been the No. 1 for most teams in the area.
In fact, she says not much separated him from being the ace on her own team this fall.
The sophomore was a catalyst for Niwot throughout this past season, leading the Cougars' first-round victory in the team-dual postseason before ending the year with a fourth-place finish at the individual Class 4A state tournament in Pueblo.
Even at No. 3, his one recorded loss in the regular season (13-1) as well as his strong postseason efforts landed him as the Longmont Times-Call boys tennis player of the year.
"Between (No. 2 singles player) Oskar Hansen, (ace) LiChen (Liao) and Charlie, they were all very close," Hites said. "Any one of them on any given day at practice could beat each other, all the way down to Sebastian (Moy) on our 1-dubs."
Added Kirtland: "I think it kept us all motivated to try and keep our spots. And it was great because the four of us embody different playing styles. We all got used to playing different styles, which I think helped us all during the season."
Kirtland's own style was quickly paced and always pedal-to-the-floor aggressive.
It also came with a little French.
The player who said he learned French before English while attending a bilingual school on the West Coast, overwhelmed most of his opponents thanks to a mental fortitude and maturity beyond his years. These days his French only comes out on the court "if I get mad enough," he deadpanned.
During the regular season, 12 of Kirtland's 13 listed wins on MaxPreps came in straight sets, with the one loss coming in three sets to Cheyenne Mountain's Jake Schultz, who would later finish as the 3-singles runner-up.
Winning or losing, his coach said she always feels good with Kirtland on the court.
"He can lose the first set 6-0 and come back to win the match. That's the kind of kid he is," Hites said. "He's never out of it. Whenever he's on the court, you know he has a chance to win."
The postseason is where Kirtland really shined.
He won a regional title and had the lone singles win in the team's first-round win over George Washington in the 4A team-dual playoffs.
At the individual tournament, he was one of just three 4A underclassmen to win a singles match as he reached the semifinals before bowing out to Colorado Academy's Jackson Gilliland, who won it all.
"Whatever is in his DNA, his mindset, is none like I've seen before," Hites said. "He's a very determined kid. He could've been a captain for me as a freshman. He's just that in charge."
