Boys tennis: CdM edges Uni on games for PCL crown

IRVINE - In a showdown for the Pacific Coast League boys tennis

championship, it came down to counting games Monday as undefeated Corona

del Mar High edged host University after a 9-9 standoff in sets.

Coach Tim Mang’s Sea Kings, ranked No. 1 in Orange County, beat the

Trojans in games, 79-73, to remain perfect in PCL play (9-0), while

improving to 17-0. Uni fell to 13-5, 7-2.

When the Sea Kings defeated the Trojans earlier this season in the

first round, 12-6, Uni was playing without its top two players, Henry Mak

and Aaron Yovan.

But Yovan played No. 1 singles for University and swept all three

sets, including a 7-5 win over CdM’s Brian Morton. Mak, who has been sick

this year, played No. 1 doubles with Jeff Lawrence.

“They knew this was a big one,” Mang said of the Trojans, “so they put

(Mak) in there.”

For Corona del Mar, which all but clinched the league title while

dethroning the Trojans from their defending PCL perch, it came down to

solid doubles play from sophomore Garrett Snyder and senior Randy Myers.

Snyder and Myers swept at No. 3 doubles for CdM. “They were the heroes,”

Mang said.

The match was tied, 3-3, after the first round of play, and

deadlocked, 6-6, after the second.

“It’s hard to keep that undefeated record going,” Mang said, “because

everybody’s out to get you.”

With the match still undecided, CdM’s Cameron Ball and Ryan Stockwell

won their final set at No. 1 doubles. Peter Kulmaticki and Michael Bean,

the defending PCL doubles champions, won two of three sets at No. 2

doubles for the Sea Kings.

The Sea Kings return home today to face Costa Mesa in PCL action, then

three of their top players -- Ball, Morton and Snyder -- will compete in

the prestigious Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament. Morton and Snyder are

seeded No. 1 at Ojai in the boys 18s interscholastic doubles.

CdM will compete next month in the CIF Southern Section Division V

playoffs, where Brentwood is expected to be the Sea Kings’ toughest

competition.

“That will be the most exciting final of all the divisions,” Mang

said, referring to a possible CdM-Brentwood rematch. The Sea Kings

defeated Brentwood, 10-8, in a nonleague match earlier this year.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Corona del Mar 9, University 9 (CdM wins on games, 79-73)

Singles - Morton (CdM) lost to Yovan, 5-7, def. Li, 6-4, def. Haier,

6-0; Ning (CdM) lost 1-6, 0-6, 4-6; Saida (CdM) lost 2-6, 0-6, 4-6.

Doubles - Ball-Stockwell (CdM) def. Mak-Lawrence, 6-4, lost to

Chen-Hsu, 6-7 (6-8), def. Nguyen-Joe, 6-3; Kulmaticki-Bean (CdM) lost

3-6, won 6-0, 6-2; Snyder-Myers (CdM) won 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.