Boys’ Tennis: Breakers earn success

It’s been a busy, and successful, start to the month of May for the Laguna Beach High boys’ tennis team.

Laguna began its postseason journey Wednesday on its home court against Santa Maria. The Orange Coast League champion Breakers, the No. 4 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 tournament, cruised to a 16-2 victory over the Saints (Los Padres League No. 3).

Santa Maria had defeated Thacher (Condor League No. 3) in a wild-card match Tuesday to move on to the first-round match at Laguna.

Wednesday’s win came less than a week after the Orange Coast League boys’ tennis finals were played at Estancia High. Senior Teague Hamilton of the Breakers won the singles title.

Hamilton, at No. 1 singles, and Morgan Lebby, Laguna’s No. 2 singles player, both swept their opponents Wednesday. Hamilton won by 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 scores, and Lebby by 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 scores, against the Saints’ Miguel Chavez, Kevin Mac and Memo Maldonado.

The Breakers (10-10 overall) also received a clean sweep in doubles play.

“Teague and Morgan continued to dominate, but our doubles play really shined,” Laguna Coach Don Davis said. “I used five combinations, Alex Duong and Owen Weber, Matt Meisberger and Tim Nguyen, Ryan Gee and Oliver Nasiell, Sterling Dudley-Bowen and Chad Kanner, and Jeff Spitz and Andrew Koumas, and everyone played well and won.”

The win sends the Breakers on to a second-round date Friday against Westminster La Quinta. The match starts at 3 p.m. at La Quinta. The winner of Friday’s match advances to a 3 p.m. quarterfinal match Monday .

The semifinals are at 3 p.m. Wednesday and the division final is at 2:30 p.m. May 17 at Claremont Club in Claremont.

La Quinta ended Laguna’s season a year ago in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.

The Orange Coast League tennis finals on May 2 at Costa Mesa Tennis Center featured an all-Laguna title match in the singles final. Hamilton emerged as repeat champion by defeating Lebby, 6-1, 6-0. Hamilton, the tournament’s top seed, reserved a spot in the final by taking out No. 4-seeded Joseph Kidane of Estancia, 6-0, 6-1, in one semifinal. Lebby, the No. 2 seed, moved on to the final by sweeping No. 3-seeded Hector Jimenez of Godinez, 6-0, 6-2, in the other semifinal match.

Hamilton and Lebby also faced each other in last year’s OCL singles final.

“They both played well and held their seed, which isn’t always easy to do,” Davis said.

Ryan Gee and Alex Duong, the No. 4 seed in the OCL doubles tournament, reached the semifinal round. The pair had their title bid ended by the top-seeded team of Matt Thomas/Robert Marrone of Estancia who held on for a 6-1, 6-7, 10-5 win. Thomas/Marrone won the doubles title by defeating Estancia teammates and No. 2-seeded Erik Cerros/Sterling Gates, 6-1, 6-2, in the final.

Hamilton, Lebby and Gee also had the honor of playing in the Junior Tournament of the 113th Ojai Tennis Tournament that started April 23.

Hamilton played in the CIF Boys’ Singles division. He won his first three matches to reach the quarterfinal round where he fell, 6-3, 6-2, to Alec Adamson of Corona del Mar. Lebby and Gee teamed to play in the CIF Boys’ Doubles division. The pair fell, 6-0, 6-1, to Allen Ma/Kenny Song of Irvine, in the Round of 64.

“It’s an honor to receive an entry to both the singles and doubles draw,” Davis said. “It’s a testament to the strength these fine players.”