This season, the Channel League is deep. In Division I boys’ tennis, Santa Barbara High stands out at No. 2, Ventura at No. 6 and Dos Pueblos High at No. 10. The Chargers have not been in the top 10 for some time. On the flip side, since DP is third in league, it will have a tough draw in the playoffs, which begin May 12.
In Friday’s match, the Chargers played tough, as well as with a lot of heart and determination. Every set was a preparation for the Channel League Tournament,which begins on Monday at Dos Pueblos.
The deep Dons’ team outmatched the Chargers in singles and doubles for the 12-6 win. In singles, Sasha Gryaznov endured a long set before outlasting Samizr Garcia with a 6-4 finish. In the third round, Christian Edstrom took down Austin Trevillian 6-2, and Stephen Long battled hard to recover from a deficit and overcame Kelly Cote 7-5.
In doubles, DP snagged its first set in the second round, thanks to the fiery pair of Austin Cano and Eric Katz. In the third round, Sean Handley and Sean Simpson (“Sean Squared”) made use of lobs, short shots and spins to beat Mitch Kuhn and Avery Chernin 6-2. Lastly, the hard-hitting pair of Malcolm Sutton and Robert Laskin stayed consistent and prevailed over Adrian Huffard and Jeremy Kirchoff.
Way to go, Chargers! Dos Pueblos, 13-6 overall and 4-4 in league, will host the Channel League Tournament on Monday. Matches will begin at 1:30 pm.
Dos Pueblos Singles
Christian Edstrom 1-2
Richard Cheng 0-3
Sasha Gryaznov 1-1
Stephen Long 1-0
Dos Pueblos Doubles
Austin Cano/Eric Katz 1-2
Sean Handley/Sean Simpson 1-2
Malcolm Sutton/Robert Laskin 1-2
Santa Barbara Singles
Chase Melton 2-0
Nicole Pollero 2-0
Samizr Garci 1-1
Graham Maassen 1-0
Austin Trevillian 0-1
Kelly Cote 0-1
Santa Barbara Doubles
Jim Vaughan/Cris Wiliams 2-0
Logan Liddell/Cris Grant 1-1
Matt Baum/Danny Diaz 3-0
Mitch Kuhn/Avery Chernin 0-1
Adrian Huffard/Jeremy Kirchoff 0-1
— Liz Frech coaches boys’ tennis at Dos Pueblos High School.