Against tough competition, the Panthers prove their worth through excellent play, reaching the third round of CIF division play before losing to Diamond Bar.
By JASON LEUNG
Assistant sports editor
Following a successful regular season in which they won the Prep League title over defending champion Webb, the boys varsity tennis team continued their domination through the first two rounds of the CIF Division II playoffs by destroying Atascadero 15-3 and edging Villa Park 10-8.
Senior Brandon Chan won his singles round by dramatically defeating the number one singles player of Villa Park in the final match of the day. With their high-speed serves and deadly ground strokes, the team seemed unstoppable during their first two games in the CIF playoffs.
Despite their success in the first two rounds, the team ran into a wall when it encountered powerhouse second-seeded Diamond Bar High School in the quarterfinals, a team they lost to earlier in the season 4-14. Recounting the difficulty of the first match, Coach Howie Farer commented on the rematch in the playoffs as a situation in which “we knew we would be in for a tough fight, and we were going to give it our all.”
Sadly, the team was overmatched losing 3-15, earning points in only two doubles matches and one singles match. When asked about the heartbreaking loss, junior Steven Robles stated, “We tried our hardest, and in the end, it just wasn’t good enough.”
Still, even with their loss in the quarterfinals, the team exceeded expectations by advancing two rounds in CIF. Winning only one of their first four games of the season, the prospects of the tennis team appeared bleak as it struggled to find its identity. However, the team rallied back, winning ten of their last eleven games, excluding their losses in the Ojai Tournament, in which many key players were missing.
The team is also in the highest division of any Poly sports team besides badminton and, consequently, is forced to play many schools much larger than Poly, including Pasadena, Temple City and Mark Keppel, all of whom they defeated.
When asked to reflect on the outcome of the season, Coach Farer declared the season a success and lauded the players on their tremendous effort and skill on the tennis court. He particularly emphasized the leadership of the returning seniors, such as number-one singles player Derek Hsu, proven veterans Billy Wardlaw, Brandon Chan and the resurgent Peter Frank, all whom played an integral role in the success of the team.
“They all really stepped up this year and led the team on and off the court. Each player contributed, whether it was Derek playing both singles and doubles or Bill giving moral support to the other guys,” added Farer.
When asked about the departure of the seniors, Robles responded that “they made a tremendous impact on me. I will really miss them.”
Even though the team is losing many valuable seniors this year, the team’s future looks bright with returning members Steven Robles, Matthew Diephius and Wesley DeVoll. There will also be an infusion of new blood as around seven to eight incoming freshmen expressed interest in the tennis program. Although the Panthers may experience some growing pains early in the season next year, by the end of the spring, they should be poised to make another deep run into the playoffs.
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