Breakers to play for title

Throughout the course of the 2016 prep boys’ tennis season, Redlands and Laguna Beach have held down the top two spots in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 weekly polls.

Those polls proved prophetic as the season boils down to a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown for the division championship.

Top-ranked Redlands and second-ranked Laguna will battle for the title at 2 p.m. Friday at The Claremont Club in Claremont.

The Breakers moved on to the championship match by getting past host Alhambra Mark Keppel, 10-8, in one semifinal Wednesday. In the other semifinal, Redlands advanced by disposing of Rowland, 15-3.

The teams are no strangers to one another: they met in last year’s Division 4 final, a match won by the Terriers, 12-6.

“We’ve made it to the finals for a second straight year, and we’ve accomplished this through our depth,” Laguna Coach Don Davis said. “The two boys who form our third doubles team are both freshmen, yet they’ve won a key set for us in both our quarterfinal and semifinal match. So, I am very proud of their performance, as I am of the entire team.”

Laguna will take a 20-3 record into Friday’s title match.

Win No. 20 came via a tough test at Almont League champion Keppel, the 10-8 triumph set up by two wins each by the Breakers’ three singles teams and two wins from its doubles team at the No. 3 line.

The six points in singles came from Charles Keller at the No. 1 line (2-6, 6-1, 6-2), Orange Coast League singles champ Ryan Gee at No. 2 (4-6, 6-0, 6-0) and Tristan Krogius at No. 3 (2-6, 6-1, 6-2).

Laguna’s four other points came from its doubles teams of Nick Besso/Sterling Bowen at No. 1 (3-6, 2-6, 6-3), Taylor Sokolovic/Mason Lebby at No. 2 (0-6, 1-6, 6-4), and Ethan Gee/Hayden Seitz at No. 3 (6-1, 5-7, 6-3).

“Our three seniors (Ryan Gee, Seitz, Bowen) took charge and got the team fired up, since they did not want this to be their last high school match ever,” Davis said.

“We lost three of our nine starters from last year’s team, so to make it back to the finals, is a reflection on hard they’ve worked, and how well they’ve come together as a team.”

The Breakers now face a Redlands team that has lost once in 24 matches this year.

“I expect there to be a lot of intensity and a high level of play from both sides,” Terriers Coach Sean Comadena said.

“They are a very strong team and beat us last year in the finals and, unfortunately, they have their entire team back plus some very strong additions,” Davis said. “Last year, we were swept by Redlands in singles, so we’re going to have to win quite a few sets in singles in order to give ourselves a chance.”

The Laguna program is in back-to-back section finals for the first time since 1982-83, and will be making its 10th overall finals appearance.

Individual season records for the Breakers entering Friday’s final: Ryan Gee (35-7), Krogius (36-12), Keller (38-11) in singles; Ethan Gee (55-3), Seitz (54-3), Bowen (26-10), Besso (40-16), Sokolovic (44-17) and Lebby (45-18) in doubles.

Laguna reached the Wednesday’s Division 4 final four by edging Irvine Tarbut V’ Torah (Freelance League No. 2), 10-8, in a quarterfinal match Monday at The Tennis Club in Newport Beach. Ryan Gee swept at No. 1 singles (6-0, 6-4, 6-1), and the team of Ethan Gee/Seitz swept at the No. 2 doubles line (6-1, 6-2, 6-1).

The Breakers previously eliminated Golden West League champion Westminster in a May 13 second-round match, 15-3. In singles, Ryan Gee (6-1, 6-2, 6-1) and No. 2 Keller (6-4, 6-0, 6-3) swept, and No. 3 Krogius won two of three (2-6, 6-1, 6-0). In doubles, Bowen/Besso swept at No. 1 (6-0, 6-1, 6-1) and Ethan Gee/Seitz swept at No. 2 (6-3, 6-1, 6-1), and Sokolovic/Lebby picked up a win (6-4, 4-6, 5-7).

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michael.sciacca@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeSciacca