Panthers’ Title Dream Dashed by Dons : Tennis: Peninsula is no match for Santa Barbara, which wins its seventh boys’ title in eight seasons.

Co-coaches Tom Cox and Jim Hanson shuffled the Peninsula High boys’ tennis lineup before Wednesday’s Southern Section 4-A Division final against Santa Barbara in hopes of bringing a title to the first-year school.

It looked as if the strategy might work after the Panthers trailed the Dons, 4-2, at the Jack Kramer Tennis Club in Palos Verdes.

But Peninsula could not overcome perennial power Santa Barbara, which won its fifth consecutive Southern Section championship with a 13-5 victory.

The Dons were led by No. 1 singles player Heath Montgomery and No. 2 Alex Decret, who each won three sets.

The title also helped Santa Barbara add to its list of tennis accomplishments:

* The Dons have won 10 Southern Section titles, which ties them with Santa Monica for all-time boys’ titles.

* They have won seven of the past eight championships.

* They ran their match winning streak to 111.

* They haven’t lost a match since 1988.

* The senior class leaves with a 100-0 record.

“Some kids were tight in the beginning, but they came around,” said Santa Barbara Coach Jack Trigueiro, whose team finished 25-0. “I’m just pleased with the way all the kids played.”

Said Cox: “We knew Santa Barbara had been here before. We made them work for it until the last round. I’m pleased with the way our team played.”

Peninsula (23-1) had trouble with Montgomery, who won his sets, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3, and Decret, who won by 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 scores. The Panthers were hoping to have Southern Section individual champion Loren Peters give them the necessary push to unseat Santa Barbara.

Peters, the Panthers’ No. 1 singles player, had trouble returning serve against Montgomery and lost, 6-4. Peters then bounced back to beat No. 3 Jimmy Walker, 6-0.

Peters then played Decret, whom Peters beat in the individual final. Peters again struggled with Decret’s serve. At 4-4, Decret broke serve and went on to win, 6-4.

“There was a lot of pressure on Loren to come out here and perform,” Cox said. “At 4-4, it was a bad time for a service break.”

Trigueiro knew Montgomery had to beat Peters to give the Dons any type of momentum.

“If Heath doesn’t get ahold of Peters right away, it just gives (Peninsula) a lot of energy,” Trigueiro said. “(Peninsula) would have been more confident. But Heath was willing to execute his challenge.”

Cox and Hanson teamed Kyle Spencer and Dennis Chang, the Panthers’ No. 2 and No. 3 singles players, and used them as the No. 3 doubles team. The team held its own, winning, 6-2, 6-3, but lost to Jason Merrin and Tom Flynn, 6-1, the Dons’ No. 1 team.

In another move, Cox and Hanson dropped the doubles team of Jeff Robinson and Lance Conrad to the No. 2 spot. But Robinson and Conrad could only win one set, 2-6, 6-2, 4-6.

The Panthers’ No. 1 doubles team of freshmen Dean Ho and Jimmy Kim also had its troubles, winning only one set, 0-6, 1-6, 6-0.

“Santa Barbara just hammered us in the final round today,” Cox said. “Things looked pretty good when Santa Barbara was winning, 7-5, for us to come back. But it wasn’t to be.

“They lose two seniors and we lose two seniors. So were hoping to have another successful year next season and hopefully get another chance at them.”