Thursday, Oct. 5, 2000 | 9:36 a.m.
Several years ago, Sean Hubbard was working his way through the draw at a national junior tennis tournament when he came down with a bad cold.
Hubbard initially considered pulling out of the event. Then he came up with a better idea.
The next day, Sean's identical twin brother, Chris, showed up for Sean's next match. The plan worked to an extent, as no one noticed the switch. Only problem? Chris lost the match, dropping his brother out of the event after all.
These days, Sean and Chris -- now seniors at Bonanza High School -- still get confused for one another daily by teachers, classmates and coaches.
Losses, on the other hand, seem to be a thing of the past for the twins. With Sean unbeaten at No. 1 singles and Chris one half of Bonanza's undefeated No. 1 doubles duo, the Bengals are among the favorites to capture the 4A state title when the postseason kicks off Saturday.
"Ever since our freshman year we've looked forward to our senior year as the year we wouldn't be beaten," Sean said. "We're going for the triple crown -- team, singles and doubles (titles)."
The Hubbards have been fixtures on the prep tennis scene from the moment they arrived at Bonanza four years ago. Their father, Jeff, knew Bengals coach Rick Niemczewski from their playing days in local adult leagues, and Niemczewski welcomed the brothers with open arms.
"I knew when they got to Bonanza that these kids had a tennis background, and that they would be pretty special," Niemczewski said.
As freshmen, Sean and Chris both played doubles, though never together. After pairing up once in practice, the two realized their sibling rivalry was best kept off the court.
"I enjoy his company most of the time, and off the court we're fine," Sean said. "But we're really competitive on the court."
Chris agreed, adding that he would treat a mistake by his brother more seriously than one by another partner. "If I'm playing with another guy, I might not say anything but since it's my brother, I'll scream, 'What are you doing?' "
As a sophomore, Sean moved to singles, where he has amassed a sparkling 40-3 record in team competition during the last three seasons, including a 13-0 mark this year. In 1999, he placed second in the state individually, losing to The Meadows' Adrin Himmelheber in three sets in the championship.
Chris, meanwhile, has continued to serve as a key doubles player for the Bengals, working his career record to 76-10 over four seasons, 14-0 this year. For the past two seasons, he has played with fellow senior Jimmy Greathouse, and the two are a formidable combination.
"(Sean and Chris) have been doing a great job for us for four years now," Niemczewski said. "And they've really grown into great young men."
As the Hubbard brothers have grown up, they have remained close, sharing the same group of friends. They have also attempted to separate from one another at times, with Sean bleaching his hair blonde this year to help people tell them apart.
Chris took up a second sport, wrestling, in part to create an identity away from the tennis courts, and his twin.
"I've been playing tennis my whole life," said Chris, who will enter his third season as a varsity wrestler. "I just wanted to do something different."
Next year, Sean will head to Southern Colorado on a tennis scholarship, while Chris hopes to walk onto the UNLV tennis squad. For now, though, they are unified -- not just by birth but by their desire to unseat five-time defending state champion Green Valley and claim the trophy for Bonanza.
"Every year we go in knowing Green Valley is a better team," Sean said. "This year, we're far more confident we can pull it out. We've been looking forward to this forever."
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