All-Area Boys’ Tennis Doubles Team of Year: Freer brothers overcome injuries before fantastic playoff journey
In March, it seemed that Jack and Ian Freer wouldn’t make it through the tennis season.
Call it a stroke of bad luck when the brothers were injured on another playing court. The Freers were competing in a charity basketball game at St. Francis High when Jack suffered two herniated discs and Ian sustained a deviated septum.
It wasn’t clear if the Freers would be able to step back on the tennis court and compete for St. Francis.
What seemed improbable at the time was the Freers pairing together and putting forth a successful run that would carry them from the prestigious Ojai Invitational on through to the final day of the CIF Individual Tournament.
“I don’t think you could have scripted it that way,” said Ian Freer, a sophomore. “It was a case of two tough things happening in a charity basketball game and we both had to go through some pain and try to get back on track.”
Said Jack, a senior: “When I look back on the day Ian and I got hurt, I wasn’t sure if I’d be coming back because I had to go through rehab and try to get my strength back. You might not be at your best from a health standpoint, but there’s that adrenaline that kicks in and puts the pain aside.”
The Freers pulled off their improbable comeback and advanced to the semifinals in the 117th Ojai Invitational, the finals of the Mission League Tournament and the semifinals of the CIF Individual Tournament.
And at season’s end, the Freers were selected as the All-Area Boys’ Tennis Doubles Team of the Year by the sportswriters of the La Cañada Valley Sun, Glendale News-Press and Burbank Leader.
The brothers put aside their injuries and carved out an impressive run against some top-caliber talent around Southern California.
It began in late April at Ojai, which features top high school and collegiate players.
“We went out there and gave it everything we had,” St. Francis’ Jack Freer said.
Competing in at the junior level, The Freers went 4-1 in the tournament and lost to San Marino’s Bryce Pereira and Connor Lee, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2). The UCLA-bound Pereira and Lee went on to win the tournament.
“It’s where it all got started for Ian and Jack,” St. Francis Coach Ron Zambrano said of the brothers who paired for a 13-3 doubles record. “They put their injuries aside and just immediately started to click.
“They went out there and beat some of the best teams in a tough environment. After Ojai, their level of play elevated over the next month. What they were able to do was spectacular.”
As season’s end, the three losses on the Freers’ record came only to champions, with two of the defeats against the Ojai and CIF Southern Section titlists and the other against the Mission League champions and CIF runners-up.
Indeed, Ojai proved to be a stepping stone.
“You look forward to something like Ojai because there’s an awesome display of talent at the different levels,” said Ian, who went 24-6, 11-5 in league in singles play. “You are on one of the highest stages there and you know you’ll be tested. That’s what it all came down to and we gained confidence with each match played.”
The tandem didn’t have much time to regroup, as the Golden Knights participated in the league tournament on May 2 and 4 at L.A. Valley College. Buoyed by their splendid display at Ojai, the Freers were awarded the No. 1 seed.
Following a first-round bye, the Freers responded with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Mike Scalera and Noah Froman of Chaminade. Making their second straight appearance in the league semifinals, the duo rallied for a 4-6, 6-2 (10-7) semifinal victory against fourth-seeded Jacob Turner and Sasha Pritzker of Harvard-Westlake to automatically qualify for the CIF Tournament.
The brothers’ bid to win the title was foiled by Harvard-Westlake’s freshman duo of Timothy Li and David Arkow, which posted a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
“There was some real tough competition in league,” said Jack, who went 3-0 overall in singles and is heading to Division III Whitman College. “That showed in the semifinals when we had to rally back in the tiebreaker. In the end, Sasha and Jacob were so tough and they played well throughout the final match.”
Still, the Freers had plenty of energy left in the tank for their first appearance in the CIF Tournament, which began May 25 at University of Redlands.
They had a first-round bye before a 6-1, 6-0 second-round victory against Anderson Grant and Shravan Patel of Hemet. The Freers then picked up a 6-1, 6-1 victory against Clyde Siringoringo and Eric Chang of Etiwanda.
The event shifted to June 2 at Seal Beach Tennis Center, where the brothers continued to pile up victories. The Freers started with a 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal win versus David Lee and Mark Schaefer of Newport Harbor before a 6-3, 7-5 quarterfinal victory against Arcadia’s Jun Nakamine and Nicholas Figueira.
In the semifinals on June 3 at Seal Beach, the Freers were pitted again against top-seeded defending champions Pereira and Lee, who powered their way to a 6-2, 6-0 victory. Lee and Pereira would move on to win the title against Arkow and Li.
“We came into CIF thinking we’d have a good chance if we played the way we did in Ojai,” Ian said. “You go in to the tournament and you don’t have any idea who you’ll be playing, so you can’t take anything for granted.
“Jack had his big serve working and I was able to rush to the net and put away the shots. We ran in to Bryce and Connor again and they were outstanding.”
Nonetheless, it’s a run that the brothers will not forget.
“We went out there and gave it everything we had. Bryce and Connor are solid players,” Jack said. “This run that Ian and I had is something we’ll always cherish and remember. It’s something we’ll be able to talk about for a very long time. Ian and I are very close and we’ll be able to share this.”
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
