Sage is seeking big year

Bryce Alderton

In his fourth year as the Sage Hill School boys tennis coach, A.G.

Longoria has seen the maturation of a program that won its first CIF

playoff match a year ago and has eyes on even greater prizes this

season.

The Lightning return five from last year’s squad that went 9-8 and

finished third in the Academy League.

Longoria said Sage Hill can make a strong run for the league title

this season.

“Whitney and Fairmont played in the [Division V] finals of CIF,”

Longoria said. “Whitney graduated nine seniors and Fairmont lost its

two top players, so I feel we will be in contention for postseason

play.”

Junior Tristan Cordier and partner Eric Burton took third place in

the league doubles tournament last year. Cordier and junior Dan Chin,

along with sophomores Ara Dimirjian and Mike Cassel, all return as

does the teams’ lone senior, Ian Livingston.

Livingston is the program’s first four-year player. He, along with

Cordier, a three-year member, provide valuable experience.

“It’s nice to have leadership and have the school starting to put

on tradition and get respect,” Longoria said.

Dimirjian and Cordier each swept at No. 1 singles in the Lightning’s 11-7 nonleague victory over Laguna Hills to open the

season while Chin won 2 of 3 sets.

Livingston and partner Michael Garrison claimed two sets at No. 1

doubles in the opening match, giving Longoria added optimism.

Garrison and fellow sophomores Julian Tooma and Tyler Ross played on

the junior varsity team last year and worked hard in the off-season,

Longoria said.

Freshmen Conrad Whitaker and Robert Wee gave the Lightning added

drive during a nonleague schedule that included Santa Margarita,

Tesoro, Edison, Ocean View, El Toro and Northwood.

“The first seven nonleague matches will be used to try out

different doubles combinations,” Longoria said. “We want to play

tough matches to get ready for league and CIF.”

Despite losing seven from last season, including Burton and Todd

Montekab to graduation, Longoria -- the coach of the girls team --

hopes the success the girls enjoyed last fall will seep over to the

boys team.

The girls team became the first squad -- in any sport -- in the

school’s four-year history to reach the CIF semifinals after being

the first girls team to win a league title.

“We have a better team this year because our returning players

have worked on their games all year and played in [United States

Tennis Association] tournaments,” Longoria said. “We turned the

corner with our girls team last season and it appears we have done so

with our boys team.”