Fruttero Realizes His Dream

The day played out just like John Paul Fruttero had imagined in his daydreams. The school’s hope for a championship riding on him, he would win the crucial match.

And just like in his dreams, Fruttero defeated John Han of Fullerton Sunny Hills High on Wednesday to give San Marino a 10-8 victory and the Southern Section’s Division II tennis team championship at Lacey Park in San Marino.

With about 150 spectators in attendance yelling “J.P.” after every point, an excited Fruttero jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Han, and won the match, 6-2.

“I loved the pressure. I want to be the guy when there is a situation like that,” said Fruttero, a freshman. “I dreamed that I’d be put in that position. . . . I really got into the match because of it.”

The doubles team of Glen Yang and Justin Gu also won its final match to give San Marino the 9-7 lead. San Marino Coach Maureen Bryant said Yang and Gu won despite suffering from a lack of confidence after losing their two previous matches.

“They were nervous and timid in those two [losing matches],” Bryant said. “I told them they had worked hard all year and it was theirs to win or lose. They didn’t hold anything back the [last match].”

Andrew Park, who is ranked No.1 in the country in the 16-and-under division, won all three of his matches for San Marino, which finished with a record of 20-4.

Irvine Woodbridge 10, Palos Verdes Peninsula 8--Sophomore Chase Exon concluded Woodbridge’s improbable run through the Southern Section Division I playoffs with a tiebreaker victory over Peninsula’s Tim Marsh that gave the Warriors the victory at the Jack Kramer Club.

Woodbridge (20-4) never trailed second-seeded Peninsula (21-2) in winning the school’s first Division I tennis title.

Nine of Woodbridge’s points came from four players. Exon swept three sets at No. 1 singles and Adam Artunian did the same at No. 2 singles. The No. 1 doubles team of Brandon Shainfeld and Greg Levy swept despite trailing, 4-0, in the first set and, 5-1, 40-0, in the second set.

Exon trailed, 4-2, in the tiebreaker and needed to win the set because Peninsula had the advantage in games if the sets had tied at nine. When Marsh began cramping in his left leg and had a hard time moving, Exon scored an ace on a second serve to win the tiebreaker, 9-7.

Brentwood 10, Carpinteria Cate 8--Brentwood’s singles trio of Scott Borenstein, Gabe Goldstein and Aaron Ungerleider combined to win eight of nine matches to lead the Eagles (18-5) in the Division III final at Balboa Park in Encino.

Atascadero 12, Santa Ynez 6--Dan Mertens, Atascadero’s No. 1 singles player, won all three of his matches to lead the Greyhounds (12-4) to the Division IV championship at Alisal Ranch.