SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ TENNIS PLAYOFFS : Laguna Hills Turns Back El Dorado

El Dorado Coach John Cyrus must feel cursed. His girls’ tennis season came down to one set last fall and ended in heartbreak. His boys’ season ended the same way Friday, as Cyrus helplessly watched sophomore Eric Bockhacker double fault twice to give Laguna Hills the final set, 6-4, and the match, 9-9, (78-73 in games) in the wild-card round of the Southern Section Division II playoffs.

“That’s just a learning lesson for the kids, that everything they do counts,” said Cyrus, whose girls’ team lost to Pasadena Poly in the Division III finals. “You can’t be sloppy and careless about doing things.”

Laguna Hills and El Dorado were tied at three games and at six games after the first two rounds, but Cyrus said his team gave away the match in the first round.

“We gave up too many games and we just gave them up,” Cyrus said.

Laguna Hills (13-6), the Pacific Coast League’s third-place team, led by three games after one round and by five games after two rounds. El Dorado (11-10) appeared to be making up ground in the last round as No. 1 singles player Tunde Osunsamni beat Laguna Hills’ No. 2 Kenton Payne, 6-2, and Ali Kermani led Wayne Cho, 5-1.

Kermani lost most of his lead before winning, 7-5, to give El Dorado a 9-8 lead. That left the match up to El Dorado’s No. 3 doubles team of Bockhacker and Chip Johnson, who were trailing Laguna Hills’ No. 1 team of Kevin Arnold and Dennis Harper, 5-4, when Kerman’s set ended.

With the score tied, 30-30, Bockhacker double-faulted twice, and Laguna Hills had advanced to the first round of the Southern Section playoffs against Downey Warren on Tuesday.

Cyrus said he felt especially bad for Osunsamni.

“Tunde’s a class kid,” Cyrus said. “His character showed (Friday). He’s worked hard for four years, but he doesn’t get a chance to showcase his talents any more.”

Laguna Hills got two sets from No. 1 Thomas Yim and Payne and one set from Cho. Jason Hill and Ryan Slack swept at No. 2 doubles and Rick Omrani and Greg Bukowski won two of three sets at No. 3 doubles.