Before leaving to play tennis for Idaho State, Josh Goodwin made time to deliver a birthday present to his coach.

    Call it a going away gift, a final goodbye, one last hoorah or just refer to it as Century’s first boys state tennis championship.

    Goodwin signed his National Letter of Intent Thursday afternoon at Century High School to play for the Bengals, less than a week after he won this third 4A singles title in Boise.

    After winning state his freshman and sophomore seasons, Goodwin fell in the semifinals a season ago, eventually finishing third.

    He returned with a vengeance last Friday and Saturday, beating every opponent he faced in straight sets while dropping eight games total.

    And in mixed doubles, Sydney McRoberts and Nathan Kleist took second, falling to the team from Blackfoot.

    McRoberts and Kleist did just enough, though, to push Century over the top to win the boys title with 28 points, edging Blackfoot by a razor-thin .5 points.

    “As soon as they said Blackfoot was second I knew,” said Century head coach Sean Kane. “I think I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’”

    The boys’ team title follows the girls who won the championship in 2012. As an encore, the D-back girls were second in 2013.

    “You couldn’t ask for anything better,” Kane said. “You have one of the most dominant players in your sport in the state for four years. It’s great. Great team leader, really helped out everybody else. I always tell the other kids, ‘It’s your chance to play with Michael Jordan.’”

    Now Michael Jordan is heading to Idaho State, a year after the Bengal men were 13-5 overall, 8-2 in the Big Sky and undefeated playing in Pocatello.

    Goodwin joins a roster that graduates two seniors but was otherwise filled with sophomores and freshmen.

    Early indications from ISU head coach Bobby Goeltz is that Goodwin will slide into the fifth or sixth spot right away.

    “They have a really good program,” Goodwin said. “They did well last year and I’m honored to play on a great team.”

    Goodwin’s father, Tom, played for Idaho State from 1981-82.

    “It’s been a lot of work,” Tom said. “We’ve came from tennis tournaments where there’s been some tears and some joys, but it’s been a lot of work getting there.”

    The work, of course, is not over. And the days of domination are likely over at the college level. But signing day is naturally a time to reflect on the journey to this point.

    So in four years at Century, three singles titles and a team championship in hand, what’s the best moment?

    “The team aspect,” Goodwin said. “I really enjoyed just traveling on the bus, being with my friends and just watching everybody play.”