HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS / SOUTHERN SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS : Santa Barbara Boys Win Their 10th Title

The Santa Barbara High boys’ tennis team won its 10th Southern Section championship Wednesday, defeating Palos Verdes Peninsula, 13-5, in the Division 4-A final at the Jack Kramer Tennis Club in Palos Verdes.

The victory ties the Dons with Santa Monica for the most tennis titles in the Southern Section.

In capturing its fifth consecutive championship, Santa Barbara increased it winning streak to 111 matches. The Dons, who finished 25-0 this season, have not lost since 1988.

Peninsula, which entered Wednesday’s final, 23-0, looked ready to pull an upset after trailing only, 4-2, after the first rotation.

But the optimism faded as Santa Barbara took charge in the second rotation.

The Dons’ top two singles players, Heath Montgomery and Alex Decret, did not lose a set.

Loren Peters, Peninsula’s No. 1 singles player and the Southern Section individual champion, could only beat Jimmy Walker, Santa Barbara’s No. 3 singles player.

“Santa Barbara just hammered us in the final round today,” said Tom Cox, Peninsula’s coach.

San Marino 13, Anaheim Esperanza 5--San Marino’s victory in the 3-A championship, its second in three years, ended Esperanza’s bid for an undefeated season.

At Lacy Park in San Marino, the Titans improved their record to 21-4. Their only losses were to Santa Barbara, Peninsula, and two to Harvard-Westland, the 2-A runner-up.

Esperanza (21-1) was making its first trip to the championship.

San Marino jumped out to a a 5-1 lead after the first rotation. The Titans took a 9-3 lead after two rotations, and clinched the match quickly in the final round when Rich Yung defeated Jeff Lawson, 6-1, in a singles match.

Quartz Hill 10, Harvard-Westlake 8--Quartz Hill (24-0) ended Harvard-Westlake’s string of five consecutive titles after winning the final doubles match.

A doubles showdown between Quartz Hill’s Kenny Park and Charlie Stoll and Harvard’s Jeremy Steckler and Chuck Tseng would decide the match. A victory for Harvard (17-4) would have tied the overall score, 9-9, and brought them the title because they had won more sets.

Quartz Hills’ Kenny Park and Charlie Stoll rebounded from a 5-2 deficit to send their match against Jeremy Steckler and Chuck Tseng into a tiebreaker. Park and Stoll won the set, 7-6 (6-3).