Alhambra Gets Last Word, Defeats Garden Grove

Most coaches will tell you never to give your opponent bulletin board material. On Tuesday, Garden Grove learned that lesson the hard way, as Alhambra defeated the Argonauts, 10-9, in the Southern Section Division I badminton championship at the Orange County Badminton Club.

After the victory, Alhambra players and spectators tore up copies of newspapers that quoted Garden Grove player Hoang Nguyen and Coach Prat Mallawong, predicting a second straight title for the Argonauts after they defeated Villa Park in the semifinals.

“We saw that as a great opportunity,” Alhambra Coach Vy Vien said. “We knew that was the way they were thinking and we turned it around and used it against them.”

A hard lesson to learn for second-seeded Garden Grove (16-1).

However, it wasn’t just extra motivation that led top-seeded Alhambra (20-0) to its first badminton section title. It was also Vien’s coaching.

Conceding that Garden Grove’s strength was in its girls’ team, Vien decided to bolster his boys’ lineup, and hope for a point or two in girls. He moved Aaron Huynh, one of the section’s top singles’ players into doubles, and had Huy Vuong play singles.

“It was a big risk, but it worked,” the second-year coach said.

Vuong, picked up two key points for the Moors, sweeping in boys’ singles, and giving his team an 8-7 lead when he defeated Garden Grove’s No. 1 Long Vu, 15-7, 15-12.

However, Garden Grove came right back, as Le Phan and Hang Pham tied the score, 8-8, with a 15-0, 15-2 victory over Linda Pei and Grace Cheung in girls’ doubles.

When Garden Grove’s Mike Tran and Trong Nguyen pulled out an unexpected victory in boys’ doubles, defeating Bliss Wang and Brian Liao, 15-13, 15-3, the Argonauts appeared to be in good position to win their fourth title. Holding a 9-8 lead, and a one-game lead in their final girls’ doubles match, most spectators thought it was over.

However, Joanne Yueng and Trang Nguyen refused to fold. After dropping their first game to Susie Sin and Khoalinh Luong, 15-2, they won Game 2, 15-13. Tied at 4-4 in Game 3, Yeung and Nguyen scored five consecutive points and went on to win, 15-5, tying the match at 9-9.

Then Alhambra’s Aaron and Tai Huynh put the match away, defeating Hoang Nguyen and Nguyen Tran in mixed doubles, 12-15, 5-15.

“He [Vien] made a great move,” said Harold George, former Alhambra Keppel coach and winner of eight titles in the 90s. “If he doesn’t switch Aaron, they don’t win.”