HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP : Poway’s Pills Provide Title, Give Torrey Pines a Pain

A half hour before their first set, Poway’s No. 2 doubles team pulled out a plastic container labeled, “Tennis Control Pills,” and immediately broke into fits of laughter.

The pills, mere jelly beans, were a gift from Heather Kritzer’s father and they amusingly promised racquet, ball, and temper control.

“We took some,” Kritzer said. “And they worked.”

Evidently. Poway defeated Torrey Pines, 10-8, for the San Diego Section 3-A girls’ team tennis championship Saturday at Tennis Escondido, giving Coach Evi Yarnell her third championship since its 1983 title.

In what has become a postseason ritual, Bishop’s met La Jolla for the 2-A title. Bishop’s 11-7 victory gave the Knights their third consecutive title. Bishop’s met La Jolla for team titles from 1977 to 1981 and since the 2-A/3-A split in 1985, no other teams have played in the 2-A final. La Jolla leads the series, 8-3.

Seniors Anna Vortmann and Branaca Elsberry were freshmen at Bishop’s in 1986, the last time La Jolla won. They said being a part of the turnaround is memorable.

“All those years we lost and then we helped turn it around,” said team captain Vortmann, who played in the No. 3 singles spot and won one set and dropped two.

“We were part of the beginning,” Elsberry said. “It’s special because we’re such a small school.” Both championships were unusual in that each winner had met the runners-up twice in league play. Poway, which finished the season without a loss, (22-0) had defeated Torrey Pines 15-3 and 12-6 in the Palomar League. Bishop’s (15-3) had a harder time with La Jolla, winning 11-7 and 10-8 in the City Western League.

It was Bishop’s doubles strength and Poway’s singles strength that made the difference. Both won six and lost three sets of each.

Two doubles teams and two singles players finished the day with perfect 3-0 records. Elsberry and Janine Schiess teamed at No. 1 doubles for Bishop’s and won handily, 6-1, 6-2 and 6-2 while teammate Brooke Gelardi, playing in the No. 2 slot, won 6-2, 6-2, 6-0. For the Titans, No. 1 Sayaka Kimura (6-2, 6-1, 6-0) dropped the fewest games and No. 1 doubles for Torrey Pines, Kim Sherrod and Kelly Kestler, won 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.