STANWOOD — Arlington’s top tennis team of Trent Sarver and Tyler Bradford made the Wesco 4-A North Division Tournament ready to build upon their designation as the Eagles’ No. 1 and No. 2 and battled to a fifth-place finish.

The result was a good one according to Arlington coach Sean Cunningham.

“They got a fresh start in tourney,” Cunningham said. “I told them, ‘These are guys you can play with — these are No. 1 and 2 guys, and you’re our No. 1 and 2 guys, but you have to maintain your composure. Don’t show intimidation or they’ll take advantage of it.’”

The pair defeated Monroe’s David Garrison and Hope combo in day 1 of the tournament, but fell to Stanwood’s Riley Swenson and Frank Medlicott 6-2, 6-4 in the next match.

They eliminated Lake Stevens’ Andrei Arevalo and Grant Shultz 6-4, 6-2 in the consolation bracket and finished Lake Stevens’ Tyler Storz and Kramer Hansen, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Sarver and Bradford would have faced Swenson and Medlicott again for third place, but Stanwood’s pair took the prize automatically because they had beaten the Arlington unit in the regulation bracket.

Sarver and Bradford took fifth place automatically because they were rematched with Storz and Hansen, whom they had defeated just two matches earlier.

Fifth place in the North tournament is good, but the road to State is a much tougher competition.

“It’s a tall task for any North players to make it to State because the South is so strong,” Cunningham said.