Senior Oliver Garcia suited up for varsity football as a defensive back in their 37-14 win over Steele Sept. 17.
A week later, he competed in varsity tennis’ senior night match against Bowie, becoming the only Chaparral football player this year to play in two different fall sports.
Garcia helped the Chaps (8-5) take down Bowie 20-3 Sept. 26, playing doubles with senior Kirby Pierce and defeating the Bowie duo 6-3, 6-1. Garcia was the Chap of the Week on the gridiron last week, and after deliberation with both tennis and football coaches, he was given the go-ahead to play against the Bulldogs.
“I was on the fence about playing this week,” Garcia said. “But when Coach Savage asked if I was interested, I knew I had to come to the courts to support and play for my team.”
Energy is a huge focus for Garcia. Despite the drastic differences between tennis and football, one thing stays the same: he brings enthusiasm to both sports.
“In football, you have to maintain your composure while still bringing the intensity to win,” Garcia said. “I carry that same mindset into tennis. When I’m playing doubles with [Pierce], we stay focused but also get hype after good shots to keep our momentum going.”
It’s been a journey for him, but Garcia made varsity tennis this August after a grueling, multi-day tryout. He became part of a 14-person senior class, almost each of whom he knows well.
“I see Oliver as a spirit animal for this team,” head coach Jeff Savage said. “When it was announced that he made the varsity squad, the whole team erupted. He’s a big part of the team on and off the court.”
When the football and tennis schedules came out this summer, everything lined up. The Chaps’ bye week landed the exact same week as senior night for the tennis team.
“With Oliver being a senior and tonight being both senior night and a football bye week, it worked perfectly for both of our teams,” Savage said.
It’s a family affair for Garcia, whose older sister was also a four-year tennis player for the Chaps.
“When I was younger, I remember coming to my sister’s senior night on the same courts,” Garcia said. “It’s definitely a full-circle moment for my family and me.”
Despite playing two sports at the varsity level, one takes priority over the other in the fall, as it often does for dual-sport athletes.
“Both sports are very demanding at the varsity level,” Garcia said. “However, throughout this fall season I’ve kept my main focus on football, which has made balancing the two pretty easy.”
Garcia said up until this week, it had been a month since he competitively played tennis. With Pierce’s help, he shook off the rust quickly, to a resounding result. Garcia won’t play tennis again until the spring season, but he will suit up for the Chaps varsity football squad Oct. 3 to face the Akins Eagles at Burger Stadium.
