Aztecs again top Newport

ANAHEIM — Jake Fleming couldn’t believe it.

The Newport Harbor High senior was trying to hold off Esperanza senior Quoc Doan on Thursday in the teams’ Sunset League match. Fleming watched his 5-2 games advantage trimmed to 5-4.

Then, the intensity of the moment shined through after a point on Fleming’s serve. He went toward the net, and Doan hit a ball back over the net.

The ball wasn’t hit hard but appeared to accidentally strike Fleming, who was turned around, straight in the back. Not that Fleming thought it was an accident.

“Are you serious, Quoc?,” Fleming said. “How about a ‘heads up’?”

In terms of the match, however, Esperanza’s warning to the rest of the Sunset League was heard loud and clear. The Aztecs beat the Sailors for the second time in three days, 11-7, at Esperanza High.

Esperanza (11-2, 5-0 in league) is now in the driver’s seat for the Sunset League title, while Newport falls to 5-4, 3-2 in league.

The Tars were again left wondering “what if?” They had battled the Aztecs even closer in losing, 10-8, on Tuesday at Newport Harbor.

“Last time we played them, we had six matches where we only lost by one break of serve,” Newport Harbor Coach Brooke Taylor said. “We turn one of those around, we beat them. Today, [the Aztecs] just came out ready to play. Esperanza definitely played a very good match today, so hats off to them.”

Fleming, who has only been playing in matches this season for about three weeks, said he feels about 85% and is still recovering from shoulder surgery last August.

He hung on to beat Doan in a 7-5 tiebreaker, but appeared drained in losing his second match of the day to Esperanza senior Ryan Mayer.

“[Doan] fought back, I just had to dig deep and grind it out,” Fleming said. “But it did take a lot out of me. I’m hitting the ball pretty well, but my fitness isn’t really there yet.”

No. 2 Josh Tuz and No. 3 Chris LoMenzo also each won a set for the Tars.

In doubles, Newport Harbor’s No. 1 team of freshman Conner Curry and sophomore Daron Arnold swept three sets. That included a 6-2 victory over Simon Ho and Timmy Kuan of Esperanza, who had beaten Curry and Arnold, 6-4, two days earlier.

“We just played smarter this time,” Curry said. “We played better all-around … I think we were more aggressive at the net this time, which helped.”

But the Sailors won just one other doubles set, as juniors John Hutchinson and Taylor Friend took down the Aztecs’ Nathan Reim and Jason Goodman, 6-3.

After Tuesday’s narrow win over Newport, Esperanza Coach Keri Walters said she reminded her team what was at stake in the rematch.

“I told the guys that we made them angry, and they were going to be here for revenge,” Walters said. “We had a really concentrated practice [Wednesday], and I believe my guys were confident that they could play better than they had on Tuesday.

“Quoc coming back from that kind of [5-2] deficit, I think that was really an inspiration for the rest of the team.”

Sunset LeagueEsperanza 11, Newport Harbor 7 -- Fleming (NH) def. Doan, 7-6 (7-5), lost to Mayer, 2-6, (sub) Gracia (NH) lost to Mellgren, 2-6; Tuz (NH) lost, 2-6, 3-6, won, 6-2; LoMenzo (NH) lost, 0-6, def. (sub) Huynh (E), 6-1, lost, 3-6.

Singles

Doubles -- Curry-Arnold (NH) def. Ho-Kuan, 6-2, def. Woods-Woznicki, 6-2, def. Reim-Goodman, 7-5; Chase-Duley (NH) lost, 5-7, 4-6, 2-6; Hutchinson-Friend (NH) lost, 4-6, 3-6, won, 6-3.