La Cañada’s Morgan advances in CIF Individual Tennis Tournament
Fresh off winning a Rio Hondo League championship, Ryan Morgan had something more to prove.
The La Cañada High boys’ freshman singles tennis player made his inaugural appearance in the CIF Southern Section Individual Tournament and showed he could handle the pressure against some impressive competition.
Morgan passed each test Thursday, as he won both of his matches in straight sets at Whittier Narrows Tennis Center in South El Monte.
Morgan, who became the first La Cañada boys’ singles player to win a league championship this century, had a first-round bye. Morgan registered a 7-5, 6-4 victory against Derek Lam of Arroyo before earning a 6-4, 6-4 win versus Stevan Quintanar of Cerritos.
Morgan will compete in a round-of-32 match at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Whittier Narrows Tennis Center or a round-of-16 contest on June 1 at Seal Beach Tennis Center in Seal Beach.
“It’s a big deal when you win a league championship and then get to play in the CIF Tournament,” La Cañada coach Will Moravec said. “It’s another step further for Ryan in getting to the round of 32 and he handled himself well.
“Ryan didn’t have one of his stronger days in that he had some unforced errors. He didn’t let it get to him and he found a way to win. Good players know how to win when they aren’t at their best and he found a way to get the points.”
Seniors Nick and Ian Lee participated in doubles for La Cañada after finishing runner-up in league.
The Lees had a first-round bye and then posted a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Simon Cho and Renso De La Peña of Downey.
The Lees caught a tough break in the third round against Stephan Thai and Jackson Boxall of Valencia Valencia.
That and Boxall recorded a 6-2 win in the first set. Prior to the start of the second set, the Lees retired after Nick Lee began to suffer leg cramps.
“It was a difficult moment for Nick and Ian,” said Moravec, who led the Spartans to a second-place finish in league and a second-round appearance in the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs. “Nick wasn’t getting any better and both legs began to start cramping. We just didn’t want to take any chances.
“They really wanted to keep battling. It’s just a rough way for their senior years to end.”
The quarterfinals will take place June 1 at Seal Beach Tennis Center. The semifinals and finals will occur June 2 at the same location.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
