SOUTHERN SECTION 2-A DIVISION TENNIS FINAL : Harvard Faces Cate in Bid for 4th Consecutive Title

Even though Harvard High entered the Southern Section 2-A Division tennis playoffs as only the sixth-seeded team, the Saracens will have trouble posing as underdogs against top-seeded Cate in today’s championship match at Balboa Park in Encino.

Creeping through the playoffs and catching opponents unaware can be difficult, especially for a team with trophies from three consecutive section championships jangling in tow.

“People who know small-school tennis figured they’d be exactly where they are, and we’d be just about where we are,” said Cate Coach Robert Bonning, whose team has been in the 1-A or 2-A final in six of the past seven years. Cate (22-1), the Condor League champion, won a 1-A championship in 1985 and a 2-A title in 1988.

Because Harvard (21-2) shared a San Fernando Valley League title with Notre Dame and lost a subsequent coin flip, the Saracens were seeded sixth. To reach the final, Harvard defeated San Dimas, Montclair, Santa Maria and Keppel.

“If we were seeded No. 1, we would have had a much easier trip to the finals,” Harvard Coach Harry Salamandra said. “I think we’ve proved ourselves.”

Harvard won 1-A titles in 1987 and 1988. The school moved to 2-A last season, finished 25-2 and defeated Righetti in the final.

Another victory, Salamandra said, will be a milestone.

“You start shaking when you say, ‘Four in a row,’ ” he said.

It will not come easily against Cate, which is powered by five seniors. Instrumental in the Rams’ 22 victories were Jim Vincent at No. 1 singles and doubles ace Fritz Hummelt.

“He’s my doubles stopper,” Bonning said of Hummelt. “I can move him around to different players and he adapts his play and style to maximize the play of his partner.”

Bonning has not decided with whom to team Hummelt today. Harvard is paced by Raj Vaswani, Chris Pisano, Pat List, Chuck Tseng and Jeremy Steckler.