Boys’ Tennis Preview: La Cañada returning core looks to improve on last season’s CIF run
Not much has changed for a La Cañada High boys’ tennis program that reached the CIF Southern Section Division I quarterfinals last season.
In fact, Spartans coach Will Moravec has seen eight of his nine starters return to the squad this year, including two-time Rio Hondo League singles champion Ryan Morgan and defending doubles champion Ben Kim and Jack Manion.
The team’s No. 1 doubles pair also reached the round of 32 in the CIF Individuals Tournament.
The Flintridge Prep boys’ tennis team celebrated its first CIF Southern title in 2019, and coach Roger Hollomand is hoping for more success this season in CIF Southern Section Division III competition with another talented squad.
Meanwhile, St. Francis looks to build upon their CIF journey last year without the talented Ian Freer, but has plenty of returning players to fill in.
Here is a closer look at the teams.
LA CAÑADA
The Spartans remain in Division I and will hope to build on their quarterfinal run of last season. La Cañada knocked off Troy and Irvine before it fell to Sage Hill.
“We’ll see what happens,” Moravec said. “Like I said, just like the Golden State Warriors, you have to stay healthy.
“When we did well in CIF, everyone was healthy and 100% and playing good tennis. We still have a long way to go. We have a lot more tennis to be played and hopefully our guys stay healthy and play to their ability to have a good season.”
La Cañada seeks to topple perennial powerhouse San Marino in the Rio Hondo League after the Spartans finished runner-up to the Titans last season.
“Hopefully, one of these days, we’ll get a chance,” Moravec said. “Maybe this year might be the year, but I’m really not going to count my chickens before the eggs are hatched.”
La Cañada will have just two seniors this year and both will compete in doubles action in Cyrus Chen and Kyle Sahara. Sahara will often be paired with junior Anthony Hanna in doubles play, while Chen has enjoyed time with freshman Dylan Luu.
Alongside Morgan in the singles lineup will be sophomore Luke Kim, who will occupy the No. 2 spot.
Included in the freshmen mix are Aaron Magtoto and Lance Morgan, the younger sibling of Ryan.
FLINTRIDGE PREP
The Rebels, which captured the area’s first CIF tennis title since Hoover in 2002, graduated just two seniors from their championship-winning squad.
Flintridge Prep, the third seed in the Division IV playoffs, toppled No. 1 Maranatha, 10-8, to win its first championship.
This year, Hollomand believes the Rebels can make a deep run at the Division III playoffs and possibly capture another section title.
“Even with [losing two seniors], we’re still a pretty strong team, which is pretty surprising to me,” Hollomand said. “We had two seniors — one was in doubles and one was in singles — and we have four freshmen that came in that’s tournament level and are very strong players. Instead of dropping off, we got better.”
Key returners will be junior Loran Baxter, who will team up with freshman Chris Fung as the No. 1 doubles pair.
Also returning will be No. 1 singles Andrew Megerdichian, a junior. Joining Megerdichian in singles will be No. 2 Will Lanstra.
Other freshmen include Miles Cabrera, Matthew Wang and Tristan Darquea.
Hollomand expects Pasadena Poly to continue to be strong in the Liberty League, where Flintridge Prep finished third last season.
ST. FRANCIS
The Golden Knights reached the Division II quarterfinals and finished third in the Mission League led by Freer, who won the singles crown in the CIF Individual tournament.
Luckily for coach Ron Zambrano, St. Francis will return the core of the team with Freer being the only player who graduated. The Golden Knights return eight of their nine starters with many of them juniors.
“The boys have been working hard on their tennis and they’re looking good,” Zambrano said. “We’re looking good. I think if we go to the playoffs, besides without having Ian, I think we have depth with the rest of the guys. We don’t have a superstar, but we have three very decent singles, two very good doubles and one decent doubles.”
Zambrano will have three strong singles players with sophomore Alex Sue as the No. 1, along with be junior Ryan Frick and junior Sean Hall.
Also returning are juniors Cody and Connor Basso as the No. 1 doubles team. They will be joined by junior Parker Chang and freshman Van Stepanian as the No. 2, and junior Henry Peutet and senior Matt Gallon as the No. 3 duo.
Zambrano expects Loyola and reigning champion Harvard-Westlake to continue to power through league.
“I’m looking forward to next year, when everyone’s a senior and stronger,” Zambrano said. “These boys like tennis. I’ve been doing this for so long, but I’ve never had so many kids that are working on their game.”