Prep column: Mang dynasty

The Corona del Mar High boys tennis team held its awards banquet

Monday night, but the Sea Kings hope there is something left to celebrate

when the national rankings come out following the upcoming girls season.

CdM capped an unbeaten season last week by winning the CIF Southern

Section Division V championship and have, players and Coach Tim Mang

believe, demonstrated they are the best team in Southern California. But

Mang said competition for top national honors is expected to come from a

school or two in Florida, as well as one in Lexington, Ky.

Competition, however, is king at CdM, where Mang has marshaled

considerable talent, as well as the unique egos that often go with it, to

produce a noteworthy run the last four springs.

When the Class of 2001, including decorated standouts Brian Morton,

Peter Kulmaticki, Randy Myers, Michael Bean, Justin Ning, Shaan Wadhwa

and Ryan Stockwell, came under Mang’s wing four years ago, it had been 15

years since CdM had won a Southern Section team title. The drought began

after the 1983 season, in which the Sea Kings won their seventh CIF title

in nine seasons, beginning with a run of six straight in 1975.

Since 1983, CIF singles champions Mike Briggs (1985) and Taylor Dent

(‘96), as well as CIF doubles titlists Rob Atkin and Doug Schulein (‘89)

and doubles runners-up Brian Walden and Trenton Rhodes (‘91) had all

graced the CdM courts. Yet, the top team prize had become as elusive as a

colorful Pete Sampras quote.

But, after a 21-2 campaign in 1998, the Sea Kings went 22-1 in ‘99, en

route to the Southern Section Division I crown. Then, after posting a

19-5 record last season, they ran the table in 23 best-of-18-set matches

this season. And while a section rule change prohibited them from

competing in the Division I playoffs, the Sea Kings’ Division V finals

opponent, Brentwood, was, Mang said, the second-best team in the section,

having beaten Division I power Peninsula.

Add up the four-year record and it comes out to 85-7, a staggering

.924 winning percentage. It is even more impressive considering four of

those losses were on games, the tiebreaking system used when teams win

nine sets apiece.

“It’s kinda neat,” said Mang, who spent the first 21 of his 30-year prep coaching career at Edison High. “Tradition is something we talk

about and try to build on. We’re going for everything, every year.”

Though a master motivator and a calculating strategist, Mang’s best

work may come in the offseason. That’s when the program’s patriarch

surrenders countless Saturday afternoons to following his flock in junior

tournaments throughout the Southland.

“The kids playing really like it when I do show up to support them,”

Mang said. “And the kids that aren’t playing, know they have to be

nervous about that, because the know I’ll be coming out to watch. I’ll

come out every week if our kids are getting to the semifinals and finals.

It’s fantastic to watch them succeed and I think they know I care. I’m

the only high school coach I ever see at those tournaments.”

Doubles standout Kulmaticki said Mang’s presence was felt even before

they’d been introduced.

“I didn’t even know who he was the first time he came out to see me

play,” Kulmaticki said. “I thought it was kind of cool. It shows you how

interested he is in his players.”

CdM junior singles star Cameron Ball, who along with sophomore Garrett

Snyder and incoming freshman Carsten Ball, Cameron’s brother, are

expected to lead next year’s squad, also appreciates Mang.

“I think he’s one of the best high school coaches in America,” Cameron

Ball said.