Needed Mann Power Boosts Taft Tennis

Adhering to that popular 1960s refrain by the Beach Boys--”be true to your school”--Dylan Mann has again decided to play tennis for Taft High.

As a sophomore last season, Mann reached the final of the City Section singles championships and led the Toreadors to the final of the 4-A Division team championships.

Mann, a rising player on the United States Tennis Assn. Junior circuit, finished 1994 ranked fourth in Southern California and 27th in the nation. Most players of his caliber don’t bother playing for their high school teams.

“It takes so much time (out of your practice schedule) to play, especially the away matches,” Mann said. “For somebody who is practicing all the time, if you have two away matches in a week, it takes away about 40% of your practice time.”

Premier players such as Mann prefer to spar for long hours daily against other top players under the watchful eye of a personal coach. But Mann, a junior who finished 15-1 in match play and 12-0 in sets during the 1994 team tournament last year, felt a pang to play for Taft.

”. . . I wanted to support the school,” Mann said. “And I wanted to play in the Ojai tournament (in April), and I couldn’t do that if I wasn’t playing on my high-school team.”

A strong serve-and-volleyer, Mann (6 feet 1, 170 pounds) is stronger after gaining 15 pounds since last summer.

“I did a lot of work in the fall improving my ground strokes and back-court game,” he said. “But I’m still serving and volleying.”

The Toreadors, who have reached the section championship match the past two years, have eight experienced players returning and a strong newcomer in Jasvinder Suri, from Florida.

AREA TEAMS TO WATCH AGOURA

The Chargers, led by three-time all-leaguer Roman Braslavsky, will be one of three teams to challenge for the Marmonte League title. Exciting freshman Dillon Ruby plays No. 2 singles and can hit with Braslavsky, who was 40-7 last season.

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BURBANK

The Bulldogs, Southern Section champions two years ago and semifinalists last season, are ranked third in Division III. They could win their eighth consecutive Foothill League title if young talent comes through. But all that remains from last season is Rafi Hovanessian, who played No. 3 singles, and Tim Harris and Stratos Christianakis, who played No. 3 doubles.

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CALABASAS

With seven Southern Section championships, including the Division III title last season, the Coyotes have a strong tradition. But with an 0-2 start, they have yet to flex their muscles for their latest coach, Steve Caresky, a substitute physical education teacher in the L.A. Unified School District. Calabasas went through three coaches in its 1994 title season. Five players return, led by Darren Miller and Jeff Herz in singles.

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CAMARILLO

An influx of new players could push the Scorpions to the forefront. Two transfers from the state of Washington, Xunyoung Wang and Tom Miskimin, will play Nos. 2 and 3 singles. Kristjan Koik, an exchange student from the former Soviet republic of Estonia, will play No. 1 doubles. Sophomore Jason Gaona (34-5 in 1994) returns at No. 1 singles.

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CHATSWORTH

The Chancellors have a new coach for the third season in a row (Jim Arajo) but are off to a 3-0 start. Sunny Warda and Danny Seeman are solid at Nos. 2 and 3 singles, and No. 1 singles player James Oh is second only to Taft’s Mann among Valley-based talent in the City Section.

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HARVARD-WESTLAKE

Farbod Nasseri, a part-time singles player last year, will play at No. 1. Harvard, ranked 10th in Southern Section Division II, should win its third consecutive Mission League title.

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ROYAL

The addition of junior Nick Varvais, the Marmonte League most valuable player the past two seasons, makes the Highlanders instant contenders. Varvais, who has yet to lose a league match, played at Westlake his freshman and sophomore seasons but lives in Simi Valley. Oscar Garcia and Jan Hojer, an exchange student from the Czech Republic, gives Royal a strong No. 1 doubles team.

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TAFT

The Toreadors will complement Mann with several experienced players who, for the third season in a row, should make them a City championship contender. Golon Sassoon and Ali Fatourechi return at Nos. 2 and 3 singles. Eilon Artzi jumps from No. 2 doubles to No. 4 singles.

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VAN NUYS

The Wolves are defending City 3-A titlists and No. 1 singles player Steve Park returns.