Peninsula Boys Favored to Win Ojai Griggs Cup

Philip Sheng of Thousand Oaks is the top-seeded singles player in the boys’ interscholastic portion of the 100th Ojai Valley tennis tournament that begins today.

Rylan Rizza and Jeff Kazarian of Palos Verdes Peninsula are the top-seeded doubles team in the tournament that features schools from the Southern, San Diego and Central sections.

There is no girls’ CIF tournament because the girls’ high school season is played during the fall. Girls, however, can compete, unaffiliated with their high schools, in the age-group divisions as can boys who are 16 or younger.

There is also a boys’ team competition, known as the Griggs Cup. A point is awarded to the winner of each singles and doubles match in the interscholastic competitions. The school with the most points at the end of the tournament is the winner.

Peninsula Coach Tom Cox is hoping singles player Goh Fukugaki can combine with Rizza and Kazarian to bring the Panthers their first Griggs Cup title.

“You never know how many points it’s going to take to win it,” said Cox, whose team won the National High School Tennis All-American Team Invitational in March.

Cox said Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood could challenge Peninsula and others for the Griggs Cup title.

“You want to win [the Southern Section team title] as your first goal,” Cox said. “This tournament is 100 years old, so it’s pretty prestigious. But if I had to choose, I’d take CIF over Ojai.

“I’d like to do both.”

Jonathan Sanchez of Fullerton is the top-seeded player in the 14-and-under division and Doug Stewart of Malibu is top-seeded in the 16s.

Tracey Lin of Anaheim (14-and-under), Kimberly Singer of Newport Beach (16s) and Iris Ichim of Beverly Hills (18s) are the top-seeded girls’ players.