The Times’ All-County High School Teams : TENNIS : Starting Out From the Top : Only a Freshman, Leach Follows in Family’s Footsteps

Before he had even played a point for the Laguna Beach High School tennis team, Jon Leach had established credentials as one of the top young players in Southern California.

After all, his father is Dick Leach, the coach at USC. Rick Leach, a former champion at Laguna Beach and now on the pro tour, is his older brother. Rick won the Australian Open doubles title in January. And sister Mindy signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Minnesota next fall.

So he has good genes on his side.

Jon Leach, a 15-year-old freshman, also began his high school career as one of the top-ranked junior players in the country.

He was ranked No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in Southern California in the boys’ 14-and-under division last year. He also won four national junior doubles titles last year, and added to those the Ojai Valley tournament singles title, winning in straight sets.

It was hardly a surprise then when Leach became an instant success on the high-school level in his first season at Laguna Beach.

He breezed through his Southern Section singles competition, compiling a 65-1 record, and led Laguna Beach to the semifinals of the 3-A team playoffs.

He also won the Ojai 16-and-under singles title this year.

Perhaps most impressive, however, was his 7-5, 6-1 victory over Rob Grant of Corona in the Southern Section singles final May 28. Leach, The Times’ boys’ tennis player of the year, became the first freshman since 1952 to win the title and now has a shot at winning an unprecedented four consecutive singles titles.

“Jon Leach is the best freshman I’ve ever seen,” said Dave Heffern, who has seen more than a few talented players while coaching at Corona del Mar. He coached Mike Briggs, who was The Times’ player of the year three times.

“He (Leach) works on drills harder than any kid on the team,” Laguna Beach Coach Bob Walton said. “It’s just repetition and how hard he works in practice (that makes him so good). He’s kind of an inspiration for the other kids on the team.”

Leach, currently playing on the juniors circuit in Europe, said that winning the Southern Section title meant more to him than winning the national titles.

“(It) was bigger because the guys are all older,” Leach said.

Indeed, senior Bill Behrens of Rollings Hills, whom Leach defeated, 6-3, 6-1, in the semifinals, is fourth-ranked in 18-and-under singles in Southern California and was seeded No. 1 going into the section tournament. Grant, a senior, was seeded No. 3 and is sixth-ranked in 18s.

And Leach, just a freshman, easily beat them both.

ALL-COUNTY

FIRST TEAM

SINGLES Jon Leach . . . Laguna Beach Brett Hansen . . . Newport Harbor Riva Da Silva . . . Los Alamitos

DOUBLES Jeff Belloli . . . Servite Chris Belloli . . . Servite Stan Sanders . . . Dana Hills Neel Grover . . . Dana Hills Gabe Pate . . . Woodbridge Randy Ivey . . . Woodbridge SECOND TEAM

SINGLES Chris Rabbitt . . . Newport Harbor Jeff Giesea . . . Foothill Dax Peterson . . . Mater Dei

DOUBLES Dave Moore . . . Edison Steve Arnott . . . Edison Scott Atkin . . . Corona del Mar Rob Atkin . . . Corona del Mar Rich Quirk . . . Estancia Brett Moody . . . Estancia