Harvard-Westlake Remains on a Roll

For Harvard-Westlake, the beat goes on. The only team from the region to win a Southern Section championship last season, the Wolverines are at it again, off to a 9-0 start, 5-0 in the Mission League.

Harvard-Westlake has won 16 consecutive matches dating to last season, when it won its second consecutive Southern Section Division III championship.

This season, Harvard-Westlake has moved up to Division II. “We’re shooting for the moon this year, and we think we’re going to get it, too,” Coach Marty Klein said.

Top doubles player Kamyar Daneshvar is the team’s only senior. Sophomore Prakash Amritraj was playing No. 1 singles and had a 17-1 record before leaving to participate in an Asian tennis tour. He will return after spring break.

Andrew Rosenfeld, a junior who is ranked 10th in Southern California boys’ 16s in singles, has temporarily replaced Amritraj.

While Harvard-Westlake has moved up a division, Westlake dropped one.

The Warriors, Division II runners-up last season, are competing in Division III.

Westlake (7-0, 4-0 in the Marmonte League) has a new coach, Bernard Kuai, who has several top age-group players at his disposal.

Top singles player Erik Janson is ranked No. 31 in Southern California in boys’ 18s. Narbe Zohrabi is No. 47 in boys’ 16s, and Mike Horak is No. 57 in the same division.

Alex Yaftali, ranked No. 28 in boys’ 16s, is sidelined with an injury.

Crespi was 16-6 last season, a school record for victories in a season. The Celts, led by freshman Stephen Amritraj, might even be better this season, despite their 5-5 start.

Amritraj, the No. 4-ranked boys’ 14s player in Southern California and a national-champion age-group doubles player, is 25-2. One of his losses was to his cousin, Prakash.

If Hutson Olsen develops at No. 3 singles and versatile Chris McNicoll can return from stress fractures in his back, Crespi could go far in the Division V playoffs.

Rio Mesa (5-1) established itself as one of the top teams in Ventura County in a loss to Westlake on games Tuesday.

The Spartans, overwhelming favorites to win the inaugural Pacific View League title, have victories over Dos Pueblos, San Marcos, Thousand Oaks, El Camino Real and Malibu.

Quinn Borchard, Davey Jones and Adrian Mardyks are Rio Mesa’s top singles players. Borchard is No. 16 in Southern California in boys’ 16s. He was 41-2 last year in singles and doubles. Jones, a transfer from St. Bonaventure, ranks No. 52 in boys’ 16s. Mardyks is seventh-ranked by the SCTA in boys’ 14s.

Agoura (4-3, 2-1), ranked fourth in Division III, has given opponents doubles trouble but is susceptible in singles. Top singles player Dustin Erb has struggled and depth has been a problem against stronger competition. Agoura’s losses have come against traditional powers Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Westlake.

“I’m not even worried about our doubles,” Agoura Coach Stuart Limbert said. “It’s singles that I have to think about.”

Contributing in both areas has been sophomore Tim Mullane, who Limbert said is Agoura’s “best all-around player.” Mullane is 11-1 in doubles and recently was added to the singles lineup.

Senior Steve Moses and junior Craig McNamee are unbeaten at No. 1 doubles, although they have losses with other partners. Moses is 16-2 in doubles play, McNamee 17-1.

Thousand Oaks (4-2, 1-1), which is expected to challenge Westlake and Agoura for the Marmonte League title, has Philip Sheng, the league singles champion as a freshman last season, when he was 59-12.

Another freshman, Andrew Lieu, who is playing No. 2 singles, is making an impact this season.

Sophomore Tigran Martirosyan and freshman Romik Yeghazary are leading the quest by Burbank (6-2, 1-0) to win a 12th consecutive Foothill League title. Coach Clyde Richards said Martirosyan and Yeghazary are among the best singles players in school history.

Harutyan Sofyan will strengthen the Bulldogs after he returns in April from playing in junior tournaments in Europe.

Hart, perennial runner-up behind Burbank in the Foothill League, hopes to usher in a new order.

“We have a shot at [the title] this season,” Hart Coach Chris Mansfield said.

Freshman Jesse Ferlianto, ranked No. 15 in Southern California boys’ 14s, is 16-2 at No. 1 singles. The Indians (8-0) have experience with seniors Todd Castagna and Andrew Davidson, who are 15-0 at No. 1 doubles after going 42-6 last year.

Campbell Hall (6-2) already has victories over Division I Glendale, Division II Burbank and Division IV Calabasas. Its losses have come against Harvard-Westlake and Hart, both from Division II.

The Vikings, who advanced to the Division V quarterfinals last season, are again led again by No. 1 singles player Adam Zunder (23-1), who is ranked ninth in Southern California boys’ 16s. He was 53-7 last season.

The top City Section team is El Camino Real, which made its first 4-A final appearance last season, losing to perennial champion Palisades.

The Conquistadores (5-1, 3-0 in Northwest Valley Conference play) are led by sophomores James Magsino and Matt Jones and freshmen Dan Nguyen and Joshua Quint.

El Camino Real’s prime competitor is Granada Hills (6-0, 3-0), which had to replace four players from a team that advanced to the 4-A semifinals.

Lee Weinstein, who played doubles last season, is undefeated in singles and was champion of the Valencia tournament.

Doubles players Anand Murthy and Dan Lim also are back after earning All-City honors.