Southern Section 3-A Badminton : Palm Springs Rallies for Title

Mike Stiles knew that momentum wasn’t just slipping away, he felt it was sprinting out the door, or at least over to Rosemead’s side of the badminton court.

“I was really nervous,” said the sophomore from Palm Springs. “The team had lost three matches in a row and David (Faunt) and I had won a game and then we had stopped playing. They had the momentum. I knew we were in trouble and had to come back.’

Trailing Rosemead’s Chi Huynh and Nien Tram, 7-9, in the third and deciding game, Stiles and Faunt roared back, winning the next eight points to post a 15-8, 11-15, 15-9 victory Wednesday at Huntington Beach High School.

The comeback also gave Palm Springs an insurmountable 10-8 lead and clinched the Southern Section 3-A team title, the school’s first since 1980.

The final score was 11-8.

The victory completed a 20-0 season for Coach Daryl Barton. Rosemead, under Coach Sally McEachen, finished 15-2.