Young Torrey Pines Wins in 3-A Tennis

Jim Sunderland is too young to shave or drive. In tennis, though, there is no such thing as being too young.

“When I saw him at the beginning of the season, I got a call that day from a newspaper,” recalled Anne Meigs, boys’ tennis coach at Torrey Pines High School. “I told the (reporter), ‘We’re going to win it all.’ ”

Just kidding, eh?

“I don’t kid,” Meigs said.

Was she right?

Did Bjorn Borg retire?

Friday, the freshman gave Torrey Pines a 3-0 lead with a come-from-behind victory, and the Falcons went on to beat Mt. Carmel, 5-2, for their second San Diego Section title at the Vista Tennis Club.

Friday’s victory claimed the 3-A division. Torrey Pines won its last title in 1985, when all schools played in one division, and Torrey Pines snapped La Jolla’s 15-year hold on the championship.

Mt. Carmel and Torrey Pines had played twice before, with each side gaining a 15-13 round-robin victory. Mt. Carmel won the first meeting. Torrey Pines then lost to Poway, giving it an 0-2 start in the Palomar League and little chance for a league title, which Mt. Carmel indeed won.

Still, “I told the guys we can be disappointed, but we should not be discouraged,” Meigs recalled. “It’s a matter of being less powerful, using timing and strategy. We had lost control of our destiny in league, but we still had control of our CIF hopes.”

Said Sunderland: “I knew at the beginning of the year we could win it. You could see the depth.”

If unsurprised by Friday’s outcome, Torrey Pines (19-4) seemed puzzled by its modus operandi.

Meigs had banked on No. 1 player Chris Swortwood winning. Instead, Mt. Carmel’s Scott Anderson, who had lost twice to Swortwood this season, won, 7-6 (9-7), 1-6, 6-4.

About Nos. 3-4, Sunderland and Jason Alfrey, Meigs expressed pre-match uncertainty.

After all, Mt. Carmel junior Ken Tang had beaten Sunderland, 6-0, earlier this year. Who can bank on section championship on victories from those ages 14 (Sunderland) and 15 (Alfrey)?

But when age might have hurt, each raised his game.

Sunderland fell behind, 2-5. But because section tournament matches require two sets won instead of one, Sunderland had time to find his game. He did, winning 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

Alfrey rallied, too, winning 0-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Had Meigs coached a player as good at 14 as Sunderland?

Yes, she said, citing senior Mark Ellison, a member of the first championship team, who beat Bruce Timm, 6-4, 6-1, in the other singles match.

Mt. Carmel got a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory from Gene Carbwell and James Kim in No. 1 doubles.

Mt. Carmel--which Tony Goffredo rated “probably the best team” he has coached there in 12 years--finished 22-3.