Title Nearly at Hand for Royal

When Royal High boys’ tennis Coach Bill Hardy sets his imagination free, he can almost feel his hands wrapping around the Marmonte League championship trophy.

It is an image that other coaches envy and it certainly is vivid.

It’s as clear as a service ace from Nick Varvais and as sharp as a baseline winner from Ben Bayani.

Varvais and Bayani, seniors who play Nos. 1 and 2 singles for the Highlanders, had a combined record of 105-5 last season and were the top two players in the league.

When they step onto the court together, Hardy is almost guaranteed six points toward the 13 needed for a victory.

“I’ve got one of the greatest combinations a coach could have on a high school team,” Hardy said.

The only tandem in the region more feared is that of Rio Mesa twins Mike and Bob Bryan, who play for the U.S. Junior National team. But because of their involvement in international competition, the Bryans rarely play for their high school.

Varvais and Bayani are both ranked players on the high-powered Southern California Junior Tennis circuit. Rarely do such players, who prefer to spend their afternoons drilling against top competition, opt to play at the more recreational level of high school competition.

Hardy has two gems in Varvais, 16, who finished 1995 ranked third in Southern California in the 18-and-under division and is close to accepting a scholarship to UC Irvine, and Bayani, who was ranked 26th in 16s two years ago.

Hardy is blessed, but he’s also stressed.

As dominant as Varvais and Bayani were last year, Royal finished only fourth in the league.

With seven of nine players returning, Hardy won’t be satisfied with two of a kind this season. He wants a Royal flush.

He wants the trophy.

“We’ve got to work hard at accomplishing what is in our grasp,” Hardy said.

Varvais is close to grasping Marmonte League immortality.

He has a three-year record of 115-0 in Marmonte League play, and, barring a monumental upset, Varvais will be the only varsity player in league history to go undefeated and win four singles championships.

“I want to go undefeated again,” said Varvais, who was 48-0 in 1995. “I’m just trying to make our team good this year and trying to go out with a bang.

“Until last year, Royal had never won a playoff match. [This year] I want us to get first, or at least tie for it.”

Camarillo and Agoura, teams with perhaps more balance, will give the Highlanders all they can handle.

But according to Agoura Coach Stewart Limbert, the score is “advantage Royal.”

“I just pray that my doubles are strong enough to get nine [points] and we can win the third singles,” he said. “But that puts a lot of pressure on a team.

“I don’t think Nick’s beatable.”

Varvais is familiar with success. At 15, he reached the semifinals of the 18s in the Southern California Junior Sectional, the second-biggest youth tournament in the country.

And before transferring to Royal last year, Varvais led Westlake to the league championship.

“It was fun,” he said. “We were so tough. . . .”

Varvais, however, feels no pressure to win at Royal. He plays for enjoyment. Team play is a diversion from his pressure-packed individual matches on weekends.

If Bayani feels any pressure this season, it will come not from opponents but from a heavy academic load that includes three advance-placement classes.

He was 57-5 last year but has “struggled” to a 5-1 start, having lost a set to Ventura’s Joe Chrisman.

“I’m not too confident in my game right now,” said Bayani, who has a 3.8 grade-point average. “It’s just my head, trying to keep up with schoolwork and play tennis at the same time.

“Physically, I’m a better player. I’m sure I’ll be really good if I get into it--which I’m sure I will.”

In juniors, Bayani couldn’t crack the top 50 last year when he made the demanding jump from 16s to 18s. But he is one player who concerns Varvais.

Varvais beat Bayani, 6-3, 6-1, last year in the championship match of the league singles tournament. Bayani was one of only a few players Varvais didn’t beat by a score of 6-0.

“I think he could be in the top 16 if he could get himself going in these [junior] tournaments,” said Varvais of Bayani, his longtime friend and frequent practice opponent. “He needs to get more confidence and try to be more relaxed.”

Hardy said opposing coaches often ask him whether having Varvais and Bayani isn’t, in fact, a problem. Standout players often want to make their own rules, which can create conflicts that can tear a team apart.

But when Hardy says the two are outstanding students who fit in perfectly, the reaction from his coaching colleagues is usually the same.

“Obviously,” Hardy said, “they’re jealous.”

OTHER TEAMS TO WATCH:

AGOURA: Don’t count out the Chargers in the Marmonte League race. Agoura doesn’t have a marquee player, but the team is versatile. Several players are adept at both singles and doubles, affording Coach Stewart Limbert the luxury of adjusting to opponents’ strengths. Dillon Ruby returns at No. 1 singles. Bryan Leiker will play either No. 2 or team with Don Chen at No. 1 doubles.

BURBANK: The Bulldogs, who have won eight consecutive Foothill League titles, lost five all-league players to graduation. But they always reload. Rafi Hovanessian and Mario Covarrubias moved up to Nos. 1 and 2 singles. Burbank is well coached by Clyde Richards and, unlike most teams, is perennially strong in doubles. This year is no exception with the No. 1 team of Matt Baker and Oliver Lao returning.

CAMARILLO: Jason Gaona and Tom Miskimin might be sacrificial lambs playing Nos. 1 and 2 singles against Royal, but the Scorpions were the coaches’ choice to win the Marmonte League because of their depth. Xunyoung Wang will pull down victories at No. 3 singles. But the key is doubles. Camarillo figures to have the strongest group. Jared Gaona, Jason’s brother, and Matt Yarbrough are an experienced tandem. Garrett Traub, after going undefeated with Kristjan Koik last year, has a new partner, freshman Mike Mancini.

EL CAMINO REAL: Dylan Mann of Taft has been the undisputed king of singles players among City Section teams in the region the past three seasons, but he could get a challenge from Sri Shamasunder, who was 15-4 last year. With Manish and Bobby Narayan, and Brannon Spaulding adding experience in singles, this could also be the year El Camino Real overtakes Taft. The Conquistadores already have beaten University, a playoff mainstay, 5-2, and gave Rio Mesa (without the Bryans) a scare in a 4-3 loss.

HARVARD-WESTLAKE: After advancing to the Southern Section Division II final last season, the Wolverines come back with the perhaps the region’s best team. With seven of nine players returning, Harvard-Westlake is 5-1 this season, including convincing victories over Burbank and perennial City Section 4-A Division power Palisades. In their only loss, the Wolverines tied Southern Section power Peninsula, 9-9, but lost the tiebreaker in games, 75-72. No. 1 singles player David Brown is third only to Varvais and Dylan Mann of Taft among area players. David Hatkoff and Farbod Nasseri return to Nos. 2 and 3 singles with a combined 56 victories from last year.

RIO MESA: It is still not safe to schedule the Spartans, even though twins Mike and Bob Bryan will spend much of their senior year playing for the U.S. Junior National team. Bryan sightings will be a rare occurrence, but when the twins show up, Rio Mesa is guaranteed six points by way of 6-0 scores. In Mike and Bob’s only appearance so far, Rio Mesa routed powerful Dos Pueblos last week, 14-4. Said Coach Steve Worthington: “One of my players said it’s like having two atomic bombs on my team when the boys come out.”

ROYAL: Besides Varvais and Bayani, the Highlanders have another promising singles player. Keith Lipp opened the week by upsetting Joe Chrisman, Ventura’s top player. Seniors Oscar Garcia and Travis Mays are reliable at No. 1 doubles, but the rest of doubles is a concern. Royal might not have the balance to overtake Camarillo in the Marmonte League.

TAFT: The Toreadors seem to make annual treks to the City 4-A finals, but this year the road will be rougher without No. 2 singles player Golon Sassoon, who is academically ineligible, at least until late in the season. But Dylan Mann, who was undefeated last year, returns at No. 1, and Ali Fatourechi and Jessie Suri bring experience to the Nos. 3 and 4 spots.

VAN NUYS: The Wolves have made playoff appearances the past two seasons and, considering a recent 5-2 upset of Taft, are even better this year. Coach Jim Buck has had to shuffle the deck, promoting former doubles players Vincent Hsu and Greg Choe to singles, where they join No. 1 Arman Davtyan and Kevin Sauk. John Flores and Archie Santos, at No. 2, and Herman Bradley and Alex Magnu, at No. 3, are undefeated this season in doubles play.

ALSO NOTABLE--With strong singles players Erin Carroll, Joe Chrisman and Matt Wyatt, Ventura could make waves in the Channel League. . . . Westlake singles players Todd Campbell and Darren Joe can compete with anybody, but this Marmonte power is rebuilding. . . . Calabasas, a team that has seen its share of turmoil and coaching changes, usually rises at playoff time. . . . Birmingham and Granada Hills are sleepers in the City. The Braves’ Anthony Gabriele is a top singles player. Chris Yoo plays No. 1 singles for Granada Hills.