High school boys tennis: Desert Hills hangs on to claim its 3rd straight 4A crown

TL;DR

Desert Hills boys tennis team won their third consecutive 4A state championship at Liberty Park, defeating Crimson Cliffs in a closely contested final. Key victories included Brenan Holman in No. 3 singles and the No. 2 doubles team of Grant McCullough and Connor Reese.

Key points

Desert Hills won their third straight 4A state championship
The final match was closely contested against Crimson Cliffs
Brenan Holman won No. 3 singles
Grant McCullough and Connor Reese won No. 2 doubles
Desert Hills scored 52 points to Crimson Cliffs' 47

Mentioned in this story

Liberty ParkChristian Thurgood

Desert HillsCrimson Cliffs4A state championship

Desert Hills’ tennis team is pictured with their 4A first place trophy at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, May 9, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Ever since Christian Thurgood took over as head coach, it has been a tradition for the Desert Hills boys tennis team to come home from the state tournament with the championship trophy.

The Thunder did it again Saturday. Despite intense competition, Desert Hills celebrated loudest among Utah’s 4A schools at Liberty Park with its third straight title, turning away Region 9 rival Crimson Cliffs in a competition that came down to the final match.

When tournament officials checked the scoring, they had to confirm their results before revealing the final scores. Brenan Holman won first place in No. 3 singles, and the No. 2 doubles squad of Grant McCullough and Connor Reese captured the crown in No. 2 doubles to help Desert Hills finish with 52 points, followed by Crimson Cliffs with 47, Orem 32, East 26 and Highland 22.

Based on how close the Region 9 tourney was last week, Thurgood expected to be nervous much of the day Saturday as the athletes competed under sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s.

“We had four seniors and they never gave up,” Thurgood said. “There were so many times when they just had to dig deep.”