THE TIMES ALL-COUNTY BADMINTON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR : Estancia’s Doan, Costa Mesa’s Luong O.C. Players of Year : Boys: Top player was ready to carry extra responsibility when Eagles needed it.

If Estancia senior Linh Doan is walking around with a little more bounce in his step lately, it’s probably because he doesn’t have to carry such a heavy load around anymore.

Doan, The Times Orange County boys’ badminton player of the year, knew he was going to have to step into a leadership role before the season began, after two-time defending 4-A champion (now Division I) Eagles suffered heavy graduation losses.

But when Estancia’s returning undefeated mixed doubles and girls’ doubles champion, Doan Nguyen, was ruled academically ineligible when the season began, Doan knew he was going to have his hands full.

“(Doan) carried the team this year,” first-year Estancia Coach Hai Pham said. “He got his points no matter what. It wasn’t easy for him to stay positive. He wanted to play with Doan (Nguyen). He’s a very tough guy. I’ve known him since his freshman year. He helped our other girls improve in mixed doubles. He was very unselfish.”

Last year, Doan teamed with senior Danh Nguyen (Doan Nguyen’s brother) to win the Southern Section individual boys’ doubles championship and finished 52-7 in singles competition.

This season, Doan improved to 63-5 in boys’ singles and reached the Southern Section individual semifinals at Cypress College, when a leg cramp forced him to default against Alhambra Keppel’s Johnny Le.

Doan Nguyen regained her eligibility in time for the playoffs. She and Linh Doan reached the finals of the Section individual mixed doubles championship, where they lost to Keppel’s undefeated Le and Nhi Phung. This time Doan Nguyen was plagued by a leg cramp.

“I had a lot of pressure,” Doan said. “I was the only one when the season started with any experience without (Doan Nguyen). We could have been undefeated if Doan had been eligible from the start. I had to get on her tail to get eligible.”

Despite the setbacks, Doan led the Eagles (14-5) to the Pacific Coast League co-championship with Century and the Division I playoff semifinals, where they lost to undefeated and eventual champion Keppel, 12-7. At least, Doan achieved some measure of satisfaction in the loss.

Three of his five losses in singles this season had been to Keppel’s Le. In the team semifinals, he avenged those losses, defeating Le, 15-5, 9-15, 15-7. Le is one of the top-rated singles players in the nation in the 16-18 age group.

“I was so happy to beat him,” Doan said. “Even though the team lost, I felt great. It was my greatest accomplishment.”

Doan said he will attend Orange Coast College next fall with his doubles partner, Doan Nguyen.

“We plan on going there for two years and transferring to Long Beach State or Cal State Fullerton,” Doan said. “We’ll compete together in a class and in tournaments.”

Doan, a native of Vietnam, would like to see the status of badminton upgraded in the United States.

“As more people recognize it, (badminton) will be more popular,” Doan said. “People thought it was a sissy sport, but it’s real tough to play. I want it to be a top sport here. Someday I’d like to turn on the TV and see there is badminton just like baseball and football.”