Southern Section Tennis : Santa Barbara’s Team Risks 73-Match Win Streak Today

Santa Barbara High School will be seeking its third straight boys’ title when it plays top-seeded Irvine University High in the Southern Section 5-A Division team tennis final today at 3 p.m. at the Irvine Racquet Club.

Santa Barbara (23-0) has won 73 straight matches, having last lost in the 1984 playoffs. The Dons, who have won 20 straight Channel League titles, moved into the newly formed 5-A Division this year after having won the 4-A title the last two years.

University (22-1) has been in the final three times in the last 10 years but has lost each time. The Trojans are led by freshman Carlos Bustos, who brings a 50-3 record into the final.

In the 4-A division, Dana Hills (21-1) will play Anaheim Servite (19-3) at the Laguna Niguel Racquet Club at 2 p.m. L.A. Loyola (17-1-1), which won the 2-A title last year, will play for the 3-A championship against San Marino (18-2) at the Scholl Canyon Tennis Club in Glendale at 3 p.m.

Santa Maria Righetti and Placentia Valencia, each 22-2, will play for the 2-A title at 2:30 p.m. at the Anaheim Tennis Center. In the 1-A, last year’s runner-up, Carpinteria Cate (17-3), will play North Hollywood Harvard (14-5-1) at the Knowlwood Country Club in Montecito.

The City girls’ softball playoffs move into the semifinals today with four-time defending champion Woodland Hills El Camino Real playing San Pedro, and Sylmar meeting Banning in the 4-A semifinals.

In the 3-A semifinals, Westchester will play South Gate, and Venice will play Bell. All four games will start at 2:30 p.m. at South Gate Park.