Brophy Doubles Team Advances to Division I Final Monday
On Saturday, Brophy advanced top seed Kentaro Akiyoshi / Ryan Zerbib to the AIA Division I Doubles Championships. Akiyoshi/Zerbib advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 win over fifth seed Connor Cruse and Ethan Wallace from Chaparral to reach the championship match on Monday. No. 2 seed Naren Gudavalli / Logan Phillips lost a tough, three-set match to No. 3 seed Hamilton's Rishabh Bendre / Shravan Pulicherla 7-6 (10-8), 4-6, 12-10.
Akiyoshi/Zerbib won their first match on Saturday, 6-1, 6-1, against the No. 8 seed, Parker Samuelian/Gavin Saulnier of Liberty.
They seek to become the 17th Brophy doubles team to win an AIA State Championship and the fourth consecutive, joining Andre Johnson and Hadley Kukla in 2023, Jack and Hank Brown in 2022, and Kukla and Sean O’Gara in 2021.
Akiyoshi and Zerbib will play No. 3 seed Hamilton's Rishabh Bendre / Shravan Pulicherla at 5 p.m. at Paseo Racquet Center.
Brophy College Preparatory celebrated its 76th commencement on Saturday, May 18, at 9 a.m. in Robson Gymnasium. This graduation was significant for the Class of 2024, who began their high school journey remotely due to the pandemic.
The Class of 2024 demonstrated resilience and connection despite the challenges of starting their education online. Their unity and adaptability were evident throughout their time at Brophy, embodying their class theme: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Valedictorian Doer Leo He delivered a memorable speech, drawing parallels to the movie "Finding Nemo" and encouraging his classmates to persevere with the phrase, "Just keep swimming." President Bob Ryan and Principal Jim Bopp also spoke, highlighting the graduates' resilience and urging them to be agents of positive change.
The ceremony concluded with a strong sense of pride and accomplishment, celebrating the Class of 2024's journey from remote learning to a united and triumphant graduation.