Burbank Repeat Should Be Semi-Tough

Facing a team that it already has beaten this season, the Burbank High boys’ tennis squad should be excited about today’s match against Brentwood in the Southern Section Division III semifinals.

But Coach Clyde Richards hopes his Bulldogs don’t take the court with their tails between their legs for the 3:15 p.m. match at Burbank High.

Burbank beat Brentwood, 10-8, in a nonleague match in March. But Richards all but concedes the two-time defending champion Eagles are better.

“We don’t match up with Brentwood,” Richards said. “We know they have six points before they walk onto the court, and they have big T-shirts that say ‘Threepeat.’ ”

Burbank has nobody who can stop Scott Borenstein and Gabe Goldstein, Brentwood’s top two singles players.

Goldstein did not play in the first match, when Richards said Burbank caught Brentwood by surprise. At the time, Burbank was ranked sixth in the section, Brentwood first.

Burbank (20-1) shot up to No. 1 after that match--the only loss for the fourth-seeded Eagles--and held that position until the playoffs.

But to have a chance to win, Matt Baker, who plays No. 1 doubles, knows the top-seeded Bulldogs must again sweep in doubles.

“We swept them last time,” Baker said. “The closest score [in doubles] was 6-3, but this is going to be a totally different match. We need to get some points in singles.”

In other matches, second-seeded Calabasas (15-5) will play third-seeded Cate (16-2) in Carpinteria in the other Division III semifinal, and top-seeded Harvard-Westlake (19-2) will face fourth-seeded Sunny Hills in Fullerton.