Tars’ senior helps sink Sage

NEWPORT BEACH ? There are certain responsibilities that come with being the lone senior on a team.

Before the season, Newport Harbor High boys’ tennis Coach Jeff Thomsen told No. 2 singles player Brandon Chase he would have to elevate his play and leadership.

Chase did both in the first match of the season for Newport Harbor and Sage Hill on Tuesday, as the Sailors rallied for an 11-7 win.

Chase filled in for No. 1 singles player Jake Fleming, who attended the memorial service of a classmate, and rallied from being down 3-1 to win 7-6 (11-9) over Martin Park.

The victory sparked the Sailors to come back from a 4-2 deficit. Chase’s win over Park was one of three tiebreaker victories for the Sailors.

“The last two years, I was playing as a lower player, but this year, because I’m the only senior on the team, coach told me to step it up,” Chase said.

Battling cramps, which he said was possibly caused from a week of snowboarding, Chase scrapped his way back into the game with powerful serves and groundstrokes.

“I knew he’d keep the ball in play and it was hard to move,” Chase said. “I knew if I really wanted to win I needed to bring the intensity. I was fired up.”

Chase was just one example of the Sailors’ determination and Thomsen was happy to discover this aspect of his team early in the season.

“I learned that they will fight until the end,” Thomsen said. “They came out and showed a lot of heart, especially for having just taken a week off. It was tight all the way through.”

Players on both teams whooped and hollered with every big point that went their way, which Sage Hill Coach A.G. Longoria was glad to see.

“It was nice to see the intensity,” he said.

The loss also taught Longoria something about his team he did not want to find out later in the season.

“I’m glad we lost this way now rather than later,” Longoria said. “We had our chances. We had an early lead. With the experience from last year, we should have held on. But it’s a credit to them.

“Conditioning was a factor for both teams. We have to learn how to play the net better in singles.”

Longoria said this might be his best Sage Hill team despite losing last season’s top player, Tristan Cordier, to graduation.

Park and Robert Wee have the No. 1 and 2 singles spots, respectively, locked up, so it is just a matter of locating a No. 3, Longoria said.

For Newport Harbor, adding Fleming back into the mix will make the Sailors a threat in the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs.

“We’re looking good,” Chase said. “Once Jake gets back, we’ll be strong. We can go far in the CIF.”