Esperanza Takes the Extra Step

Esperanza advanced to its first Southern Section boys’ tennis quarterfinal in nine years with an 11-7 victory at Aliso Niguel Thursday. The celebration will be short-lived, because the Aztecs’ next opponent is defending Division I champion Palos Verdes Peninsula, seeded second this year.

“We’ll have a small goal against them,” Esperanza Coach Keri Wood said. “If we can get four or five sets, we’ll be happy.”

The Aztecs met most of their goals this season--winning 18 games, finishing second in the Sunset League to Los Alamitos and reaching the quarterfinals.

“It’s quite an accomplishment for these guys,” Wood said. “They’ve worked hard all season. They deserve it.”

For a few minutes Thursday, it looked like Esperanza might not attain its last goal. Aliso Niguel (12-8) fell behind, 4-1 and 6-3, but tied the match at 7-7 midway through the final round. But the Aztecs’ No. 2 doubles team, Vince Gonzalez and Kevin Chung, beat Conrad Turlik and Sean Cummings, 6-4, and No. 1 singles player Nick Smith defeated Brian Kelly, 6-1, to give Esperanza nine sets and an insurmountable lead in games.

“We’d have liked to have made it a little more interesting,” Aliso Niguel Coach Art Jenkins said. “I thought their doubles played well and that’s where our strength is.”

Esperanza’s doubles teams won four of nine sets. Scott Lloyd and Daniel Ikuta won two at No. 1 doubles, and Gonzalez and Chang and Greg Buie and Ryan Teng took one set each. In singles, Andrew Manson and Marco DiAddezio swept.

The Aztecs have lost only three times--twice to top-seeded Los Alamitos and once to Canyon, the fourth-seeded team in Division III--but were not ranked in the section polls or in Orange County.

“We’re kind of a sleeper team,” Wood said. “No one knows exactly how tough we are. Hopefully this will put us on the board.”