Locals open CIF at home

Winning a league championship isn’t exactly business as usual for the Newport Harbor High boys’ tennis team. And, as it turns out, the Sailors’ matchup in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs gives Coach Kristen Case a chance to clear up some unfinished business.

The Tars (13-4) claimed the Sunset League crown with a 9-1 league record, capturing the program’s first league title in at least eight seasons, Case said. Newport Harbor will hope to cash in on the first-round home match that that title affords, when it meets Peninsula Thursday at 3 p.m.

It was Peninsula that defeated a Newport Harbor girls’ team, on which Case was a senior star in 1999, in the CIF Division I championship match.

“When I played, Peninsula and Corona del Mar were always our biggest rivals,” said Case, in her second season at the helm.

Though Case’s first season ended with a first-round playoff loss to University, she is no stranger to postseason success. In four seasons as a varsity player, Case never experienced a first-round setback. She has also orchestrated successful postseason openings in two seasons as the Sailors girls’ coach.

Corona del Mar, also in Division I, as well as Sage Hill and Estancia in Division IV, are other Newport-Mesa schools making postseason bids.

CdM (15-4), the runner-up in the Pacific Coast League, plays host to Sunny Hills, the No. 2 representative from the Freeway League, in Thursday’s first round.

Newport Harbor is paced by the doubles teams of senior Josh Tuz and sophomore Jason Cernius, as well as seniors Cameron Chase and Darren Arnold.

Tuz and Cernius are the Sunset League doubles runners-up, while Chase and Arnold lost in the semifinals of the league tournament, their first loss against league competition all season.

Thursday will be the final match for Chase, who would miss whatever is left of the postseason due to a senior trip to Costa Rica.

CdM, coached by Brian Ricker is paced by Parker Rhodes, Chris Damion, Shane Korber, Ryan Peyton and Matt Fisher.

Rhodes and Damion teamed to finish second at the league doubles tournament, while Peyton was the league singles runner-up.

Korber lost in the PCL singles semifinals, while Fisher teamed with Rhodes to go 32-1 in doubles during the regular season.

Sage Hill will play host to Calvary Chapel, the No. 2 representative from the Orange Coast League, in Thursday’s first round at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club.

Coach A.G. Longoria’s Lightning are led by singles players Alex Koberle, Troy Astorino and Kevin Sans, as well as the top doubles tandem of Andrew Kurzweil and Alex Manolakas.

Estancia, the No. 3 team from the Orange Coast League, plays host to Templeton in today’s wild-card round. If victorious, Estancia would visit top-seeded Cerritos in the first round Thursday.

Eagles seniors Ely Zaidler and Danny O’Neil won the Orange Coast League doubles title.

The second round is Saturday, the quarterfinals are May 19 and the semifinals are May 26. The finals are June 3.