TENNIS : Santellano Gave Chatsworth Running Start Toward Prominence

If Joe Santellano ever had doubted his coaching style, the Chatsworth High boys’ tennis program probably would not be where it is today.

Chatsworth’s varsity has won 36 of its past 37 matches, and the junior varsity just completed a season in which it won its ninth consecutive West Valley League title.

The varsity is 18-0 this season and will play in its second consecutive City Section 4-A Division title match today at 2 p.m. when it meets Taft at The Racquet Centre in Studio City.

Although the Chancellors have some of their most talented players in school history, much of their success can be attributed to Santellano’s like-it-or-leave-it coaching style.

Santellano is a former football player at Birmingham High who brought an intense style to the courts at Chatsworth in 1983 when he became boys’ tennis coach.

But was the tennis team ready for Santellano’s approach?

Instead of just tossing out the tennis balls, Santellano employed a blue-collar work ethic in which players spent more time sprinting than serving.

“At my first practice, all we did was run,” senior Aaron Haaz said. “We ran and ran and ran. We never even picked up a racket. I thought, ‘Man, what are we doing?’ ”

Other players, as well as their parents and private instructors, also questioned Santellano’s tactics. But Santellano did not budge.

“I remember my first match, when the players each finished their matches and went into the locker room and changed into Hawaiian shirts and grabbed their lawn chairs,” Santellano said. “That was a rude awakening.”

There weren’t any lawn chairs at Chatsworth High on Tuesday.

Instead, the players gathered for calisthenics and chanted “C-H-A-T-S-W-O-R-T-H.” They then spent the next 30 minutes performing various drills that were closely monitored by Santellano and his timepiece.

During matches, the Chancellors shout encouragement to their teammates from courtside and greet them with handshakes, win or lose.

At a practice last week, they even came to the rescue of a girl who was being assaulted near the tennis courts at Chatsworth. They chased her assailant and aided in his capture.

“Quitters know better than to come out here,” Santellano said. “They know I’m not afraid to get in their faces, no matter how good they are.”

Santellano also has a softer side, and he mixes it in enough to gain the respect of his players.

“He doesn’t tell us anything that isn’t going to help us,” Haaz said. “And he always treats us like adults, not kids.”

The result is a program that now is compared to traditional City powers El Camino Real and Taft. Last year, the Chancellors won their first 18 matches before losing to University in their first City title appearance.

“I think something is lost if you just show up and unlock the courts,” Santellano said. “Some coaches are successful that way, but I’m not.”

It’s difficult to question the results.

Haaz, who began his career at Chatsworth as the 25th man in a 25-man program, eventually worked his way up to No. 1 singles. Mike Carone, who has teamed with Amir Fahimi to win 18 of 20 doubles matches, joined the team after an unsuccessful baseball tryout.

Mike DiGiorigo also couldn’t hit a fastball but has teamed with Haaz in doubles to reach the quarterfinals of the City individual championships this season. Fahimi didn’t even play tennis last season.

Rafael Huerta, Rudy Vargas, and Ron Charles are the team’s big names, each 22-0 in singles matches. But Santellano is quick to credit the team’s success to its depth, which is aided by such players as Jeff Grewal, Brian Bettinger and Thad Montalban.

“We work hard here,” Carone said. “And it weeds out the people who are still playing at other schools.”

Levy returns: Taft, which has lost both of its matches against Chatsworth this season, will be stronger this time with the addition of sophomore Dvir Levy.

Levy competed as a freshman last season and helped Taft to a 14-0 record and a berth in the semifinals of the 4-A playoffs. But the City Section office ruled that Levy was living outside Taft’s attendance area and forced Taft to forfeit all 14 of its wins. The Toreadors also were barred from playing their semifinal match against University.

Levy was declared ineligible for one year. He returned May 20 and helped Taft (13-3) defeat University in a semifinal match.

His return concerns Santellano, whose team defeated Taft, 5-2, in both matches this season. Taft Coach Marvin Jones said Levy will play No. 3 singles. “He will make a difference,” Jones said. “But we’re still definitely considered underdogs. Chatsworth is a very, very fine team.”

Doubles trouble: Ventura’s doubles tandem of Alex Lynch and Darren Potkey had played together only three weeks this season but sailed to the Southern Section championship last Saturday without losing a set. Lynch and Potkey defeated Corona del Mar’s Trenton Rhodes and Brian Walden, 6-2, 6-3, in the final.

Lynch, a senior who is headed to Washington State on a scholarship, and Potkey did not play together until May 8. Last season they teamed but failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Southern Section tournament.

After Lynch and Potkey were defeated in singles play in the Channel League tournament, they again joined forces. They upset Santa Barbara’s team of Craig Peus and Mark Jamali, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the league finals and earned the top seeding in the Southern Section tournament.

“We wanted to see if one of us might be able to pull off a big upset and beat one of Santa Barbara’s players (in the Channel League tournament),” said Potkey, a junior. “When that didn’t happen, we figured our best shot was in doubles.”

They became the first Ventura boys to win a Southern Section title, even though their strategy simply consisted of relying on Lynch’s strong baseline game and Potkey’s aggressive net play.

“We pretty much played it by ear,” Lynch said. “Darren pretty much takes charge, and he carried me throughout the whole tournament until Saturday. When I started playing well, we really played well.”

Add Lynch: He also was an honorable mention All-Channel League outside hitter on Ventura’s volleyball team this spring, which led to somewhat of a hectic lifestyle.

Three times a week, his mother Terry would shuttle him from the tennis court to the volleyball court.

“It kept me busy,” she said. “But we were never late.”

Everything but Bjorn: The Cabrillo Racquet Club’s first grass-court tournament, which began last weekend and will conclude this weekend, is believed to be the first grass tournament in Southern California, according to assistant manager Chris Foshe. Cabrillo has one grass court and will be adding another.

“We had strawberries and cream and everything,” Foshe said. “It was just like Wimbledon and was an absolute success.”