One glimpse at Braylon Desquitado shows a typical tennis player.

The white tee, white cap, Adidas socks and shoes, blue shorts and lime-green Nike wristband make the Pine Creek No. 1 singles player fit into any tennis paradigm.

Once the Eagles freshman fires a serve past his opponent for a point or demonstrates his court awareness, the top 40 national ranking makes sense.

Desquitado earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory on Tuesday against Rampart’s previously undefeated Michael Tanner and improved to 12-0 this season. Desquitado’s impressive freshman year has earned him Peak Performer.

“I just play my game and have fun out there,” Desquitado said. “I play loose and relaxed, and I end up playing my game, and it brings good results.”

Desquitado currently ranks 33rd in the U.S. and No. 1 in Intermountain Colorado, per the U.S. Tennis Association.

In his 12 high school matches and 24 sets, Desquitado has won 18 of those by a score of 6-1 or 6-2.

His road to excellence began at 8 years old, when Desquitado said his infatuation for tennis blossomed from curiosity to passion.

“Me and my dad were watching the Australian Open one day, and I said I wanted to be on TV,” Desquitado said. “After that, he started training me. My dad played with his team and I’d follow him around and hit with him a little bit. Ever since then, I haven’t stopped hitting the ball.”

And Jason Warkentine appreciates that work ethic from Desquitado.

Warkentine, the Eagles’ coach, credited the freshman for his constant positive attitude and acting as a leader despite being 14 years old.

“He brings that positivity to practice and he’s a natural-born leader,” Warkentine said. “His experience rolls over to everyone else, and they see how hard he works in practice, and that rubs off on everyone else. He practices the way he plays in a match, and he’s not out there goofing around. He knows when to hit the right shots, and Braylon makes sure to have the right form on his shots.”

Desquitado’s success has also benefited his teammates on the court.

Last season, Gurman Goraya finished 13-9 as a sophomore as the Eagles’ No. 1 singles player. Goraya advanced to state but lost in the first round of the 5A bracket.

This year, Goraya moved to No. 2 singles, where he’s 10-0. Of those 10 matches, the Eagles junior has won nine in straight sets and hasn’t allowed more than two set points since early September.

“Gurman battled at No. 1 last year but he’s thriving at No. 2 this year and has a great attitude, and he’s got that same work ethic as Braylon,” Warkentine said. “His work ethic is off the charts, and his attitude is fantastic. I have high expectations for both of those boys this year.”

With the individual state tennis tournament less than a month away, Warkentine said he’s excited for what’s to come for his freshman.

But he knows better than to anoint Desquitado prematurely as a champion.

“I know that he will be a state champion,” Warkentine said. “But I’m not going to speculate on when.”

As for Desquitado, he’s still cherishing the competition and time with his friends. He’s prepared for the state tournament, but said he knows to remain humble as the season finale approaches.

“We all start from the same place, and I love hanging out with others,” Desquitado said. “These are all my friends, and I don’t want to have a big ego or come off as a bad person on the court. I like to have fun and like to be nice to others.”