San Marcos and Cate boys tennis each came out on top in their CIF-SS Division 3 Semifinal matchups on Wednesday to set up a local clash in the title match.
The Royals and Rams will square off on Friday at 2:15 p.m. at the University of Redlands.
San Marcos 12, La Cañada 6
The Royals went on the road and came away with a 12-6 semifinal win over La Cañada on Wednesday.
Carter Cotich continued to roll in singles play, winning all three of his matchups while dropping just one game.
Meanwhile, Dylan Cotich earned a pair of big victories at lines one and two.
In doubles, San Marcos collected six of the nine available points as all three pairings went 2-1.
“Our doubles have been working hard on their gameplay and strategy,” San Marcos head coach Emily Carver said. “It’s nice seeing that pay off in these high-stakes matches.”
Cate 12, Long Beach Poly 6
The Rams also picked up a 12-6 victory in the semifinals, defending their home court in the process.
Cate took six points in both singles and doubles action for the balanced win.
Bruce Li led the way in singles by going 3-0, while Kakeru Hirofuji battled to two wins and Andrew Jayich took one point.
The duo of Nate Newlove and Harry Su stayed hot with a three-set sweep, while James He/Kenny Wang, Kaden Greene/Kendrick Suen and Graham Clinger/Alex Danely tallied one win apiece.
Bolsa Grande 10, Carpinteria 8 (Div. 6)
The Warriors had their season come to an end with a semifinal loss to Bolsa Grande on Wednesday.
In singles, Elio Taha turned in a strong 3-0 day while Lucas Martin and Edwin Hernandez each went 2-1 to account for most of the team’s scoring.
The lone Carpinteria doubles point came courtesy of a win by Servando Campuzano and Ethan Almgren.
“Overall, I am extremely proud of these boys and how they have improved and fought throughout the season,” Warrior head coach Charles Bryant said. “No one expected us to make the playoff run we did.
“Except the boys believed in themselves ….and they got stronger and showed their true selves in the playoffs, where we had incredible performances. As sad it is to lose in the semifinals, it was an honor to coach such a fun group who exceeded expectations and became a true family of players.”