You saw the aces.

You saw the winners.

You saw the drop shots and the overheads.

But it’s the stuff you didn’t see – the friendship, trust, belief and teamwork – that made West Linn’s Perin Huberty and Rhyson Chiang state champions.

Chiang and Huberty, competing in the Class 6A state doubles championship at Babette Horenstein Tennis Center, rode their partnership to victory at state, knocking off Sunset’s Ian Arnold and Zane Moore 6-4, 6-3 in the doubles final on Saturday, May 24.

“One thing I love about playing with Rhyson is that it’s always so much fun,” Huberty said. “When you have a good partnership, you have to be having fun, you have to be good friends and you have to have a good time together. I didn’t know him that well in the past, but we just have a really good time and I think that helps take the stress off.”

“This year, it felt maybe even better (than winning in 2024) because I’m a senior,” said Chiang, who teamed with Keyan Fernando to win the 6A doubles crown a year ago. “Knowing that this is my last match – whether I win or lose – so it’s just the best feeling.”

The top-ranked Chiang and Huberty – they won the Three Rivers League title a week earlier – won five straight times at state, opening with a bye, then winning four straight times in straight sets, including wins over the eighth seeds, third seeds, and finally, Sunset’s sixth-seeded Arnold and Moore in the finale.

“I was honestly really nervous to play Sunset, because two years ago, I was in the finals and lost to (Sunset’s Parsa Nasri and Kei Watanabe),” Chiang said. “But we played good. We did really well. In the second set, we were up 2-0 and Perin was serving and we got broken and that was a little unfortunate, but then we bounced back pretty quick.”

“I feel really good,” Huberty added. “I put in a lot of work over the last few years. My freshman year, I didn’t ever think I’d be here so it feels really good.”

Their efforts, along with a third-place finish in singles by senior Zach Steinberg, led the Lions to second place in the team standings at state with 17 points. Lincoln won the 6A team title with 18 points, while Lake Oswego tied for third with 12 points and Lakeridge tied for ninth with six points.

The second-seeded Steinberg, the TRL champion, won his way into the 6A semifinals, dropped a tough three-setter there, then rebounded to beat fourth-seeded Jesuit junior Tristan Hernandez 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2 to finish third.

For Lake Oswego, third-seeded seniors Ryan Alavi and Robert Evenson battled their way into the semifinals, then placed third in the doubles draw; second-seeded LO junior James Cui and sophomore Jaeyun Lee, meanwhile, reached the 6A quarterfinals.

For Lakeridge, eighth-seeded senior Cooper Wyngarden won his way into the singles quarterfinals.