Southern Section 4-A Badminton : Estancia Defeats Buena Park, 11-8, to Win Title

Before the Southern Section 4-A badminton final Thursday, Coach Lillian Brabander of Estancia High School of Costa Mesa took her team to a park. Not for the big match, but to play on the slides, swings, merry-go rounds and whatever else the players could find to amuse themselves.

The outing was a device to relax the Eagle players before their match against Buena Park. Both teams entered the final with 18-0 records.

Estancia, which won its second badminton title in three years Thursday with an 11-8 victory over the Coyotes at Westminster High, seemed to be the most relaxed team on the court.

Estancia built an early lead then held off the Coyotes in doubles to gain its 56th victory in its last 57 matches over three years.

The bulk of Estancia’s points came in girls’ doubles where the Eagles won all four matches.

Another factor in the outcome was the play of Estancia’s No. 2 doubles team of freshman Bich Nguyen and Thi Vuong, who beat Buena Park’s No. 1 team of Johanne Quirion and Bao Quach, 15-8, 11-15, 15-10, to clinch the match.

Estancia had built a 7-1 lead as Buena Park’s only victory in the first eight matches was Matt Mallars’ upset over Manh Trinh, 6-15, 15-6, 15-6, in No. 1 singles. Trinh had finished second in the individual final last weekend against Ferdinand Rivera of Pacifica High School of Garden Grove.

But Buena Park rallied with five straight points in girls’ singles behind the play of freshmen Tonya Van Der Vort and Heather Hassinger. Van Der Vort defeated Caryn Remington, 11-6, 11-10, and Hassinger beat Kym Nguyen, 11-5, 2-0.

Buena Park, however, could not get any closer than 7-6 as the Estancia girls’ doubles teams swept their matches.