Carroll Rides a New Wave : Ventura prodigy finally gets act together

Erin Carroll of Ventura High has finally decided to take his sport seriously, which is bad news for anybody scheduled to face him this season.

So talented is Carroll, a 16-year-old junior, that he became the first boy from Ventura County to win the 16-and-under division in the Ojai Valley Championships last year despite his nonchalant approach.

You see, Carroll is equally known for his passion for skateboarding and surfing.

He changed after Ojai.

“That tournament was probably the turning point,” said Nelson Emery, Carroll’s coach for nine years.

“I always told him he had the potential, the gift for the game,” added Emery, coach at Ventura College. “This let him see the light.”

Carroll butted heads with Emery since he was 7. The kid couldn’t harness his anger after losing, whether it was one match or one point. Discipline was the only answer and Emery remembers sending Carroll home in the middle of a clinic.

Carroll would often skip several days of practice. At 12, two years after he was ranked No. 7 in Southern California in the 10s, Carroll quit tennis.

“I expect him to work hard but he got tired of practicing and he probably got tired of me,” Emery said. “I told him to do something else.”

Carroll returned six months later, but the breakthrough Emery was waiting didn’t arrive until last April at Ojai.

Playing in the most important tournament next to the section championships, Carroll won five matches without losing a set. Most impressive was his 7-5, 6-4 victory over Chase Exon of Irvine in the final.

His confidence and commitment have grown, and the winning has continued.

In June, Carroll reached the quarterfinals of the largest Southern California age-group event, the junior sectional. In August, he and Cody Jackson of Westminster pulled off a surprise third-place finish in the 16s national championships in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Ventura High Coach Brad McLain is tight-lipped when asked if his top singles player is, in fact, the best in the region. But he offered high praise.

“If Erin puts his mind to it and stays focused, he could definitely be a Division I college player,” McLain said.

TEAMS TO WATCH

Southern Section

Burbank--With Rafi Hovanessian playing No. 1 singles, the Bulldogs have their sights set on a 10th consecutive Foothill League title.

Calabasas--No. 1 Nick Weiss and No. 2 Alex Menichini are two of four premier freshmen who might eventually lead the Coyotes to a section title.

Glendale--Two key players transferred to Taft, but the Dynamiters could get a lot of mileage out of Nos. 1 and 2 Ji Chung and Philip Yim.

Harvard-Westlake--The Wolverines reached the Division II semifinals last year and could make another run with brothers Kevin and Brian Bezonsky.

Hoover--The Pacific League co-champions return No. 1 Danny Kim and two doubles teams.

Rio Mesa--Twins Mike and Bob Bryan are at Stanford but the Spartans have talent to contend in the Channel League.

Westlake--The Marmonte League favorite features Darren Joe and four talented freshmen, led by No. 2 singles player Alex Yaftali.

City Section

Birmingham--With seven players returning, the Braves could return to the 3-A title match, which they lost in ’95.

Granada Hills--All-region doubles player Jason Weissbrod left the team to film TV commercials, but the 4-A finalists have seven returnees.

Taft--No. 1 Golan Sassoon is academically ineligible for the second consecutive year but the Toreadors have transfers Farhad and Farshid Hajimirzaee from Glendale.

Van Nuys--With everybody back from last year’s 3-A finalist, the Wolves could go all the way.

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AT A GLANCE

* THE PROVEN: Ventura’s Erin Carroll and Joe Chrisman had a combined set record of 67-8 in region’s toughest league last year. . . . Hoover’s Danny Kim reached third round of section tournament in 1996. . . . Westlake junior Darren Joe should be Marmonte League’s top player. . . . Glendale’s Ji Chung was 56-4 in ’96. . . . Michael Marquez of St. Bonaventure should dominate Tri-Valley League. . . . Buena’s Zafar Fisher has the ability to beat anybody. . . . La Canada sophomore Parker Collins won section doubles title last year.

* THE PROMISING: Freshman Nick Weiss of Calabasas has potential to be section champion. . . . Junior Dillon Ruby of Agoura and sophomore Jeff Linneman of Thousand Oaks won a combined 83 sets in Marmonte League last year. . . . Sonny Warda of Kennedy and Anthony Gabriele of Birmingham could be the best in the City. . . . Campbell Hall freshman Adam Zunder is on the rise. Jason Gaona of Camarillo will be a big gun in Marmonte League.

* FAST FACT: Carroll is only Ventura County player to win 16-and-under title in Ojai Valley Championships.