The Dos Pueblos boys tennis team eked out a league win over San Marcos High School on Wednesday in a three-hour contest at Royal territory.
All we wanted to do today was do our best, come what may. It was nice to eke out a win — 9-9 in sets with DP winning in games, 74-68. The San Marcos players were great competitors.
For this match, we had a full squad. Quinn Hensley and Joshua Wang have recovered a little from the flu and headed into the doubles lineup. From start to finish, both teams battled tough on all courts. The Chargers were behind the first two rounds — 2-4 after first round and 5-7 after the second round, so the third round we had to kick it into gear. The players did not lose focus but worked harder and moved more. They were able to move on quickly after lost points. I saw a lot of high-fiving after points.
In singles, everyone quickly lost to top star Kento Perera. Patrick Corpuz and Miles Baldwin regrouped to beat the remaining two opponents. Corpuz despatched his remaining two opponents, 6-1, 6-1.
Baldwin won one quick set at 6-0, but he played the set of the day — the very last set of the day versus Lars Scannell. He was leading 4-1 then fell behind 4-5. He then settled down, placed his shots much better, plus ran down every ball and took the set, 7-5. Being the last set, you get everyone from both teams to watch and cheer loudly.
In doubles, we had some new pairings. Bryce Ambrose and Joshua Wang had never hit together before. Today they did, and swept 6-1, 6-4, 6-0. They played with precision and calmness. The other sets we got in doubles came from Quinn Hensley and Vincent Villano. After a tough first set, they cruised 6-0 and 6-1.
I am definitely proud of this team, who supported one another throughout the match, kept each other positive. “All for one, and one for all.” Way to go, Chargers!
Dos Pueblos improves to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in league. The Chargers will host San Luis Obispo at 3:15 p.m. Monday.
— Liz Frech coaches boys tennis at Dos Pueblos High School.