CdM runs out of games

CORONA DEL MAR — The match looked like it might be decided on games from the outset.

For the Corona del Mar High and Thousand Oaks boys’ tennis teams, calculators would be as hot a commodity as anything in the CIF Southern Section Division I second-round playoff match Saturday at CdM.

CdM senior Brent Pham stood there with a marker, writing in the right-side margin of the big scoreboard chained to the fence. But, in the end, the numbers just weren’t on the Sea Kings’ side for the second straight year.

The teams tied in sets, 9-9, but Thousand Oaks won on games, 69-66, to end the Sea Kings’ season. Last year, it was Peninsula tying CdM in sets but winning by three games in the quarterfinals.

“It’s the exact same thing,” said CdM senior Fabian Matthews, who won two of three matches at No. 1 singles. “It’s kind of sad. I thought we were going to get at least to the quarters, but I guess not. But [Thousand Oaks] was a good team anyway, so it’s not that disappointing.”

CdM Coach Tim Mang, who announced earlier this week that he would be stepping down after the season, had a plan for what ended up being the final high school match of his coaching career. The Sea Kings (15-5) needed to sweep in doubles, like they did in Thursday’s first-round victory over Servite.

They came close Saturday, but only the doubles pairing of junior Chris Damion and sophomore Matt Fisher swept their sets against Thousand Oaks (16-3). The Lancers’ No. 1 doubles team of Ken Wang and Alex Johnson managed two 6-4 victories, over the other Sea Kings’ teams of Ryan Peyton and Shane Korber, and Bryan Buchert and Gabino Felgueroso.

“That first one was giant,” Mang said. “We were up a break and we just got a little bit nervous. But, you know what? Fabian winning [against Thousand Oaks junior Kyle McMorrow] was big. You won’t find a singles lineup like that anywhere.”

Matthews could attest to that. In his first match of the day, he was down, 2-1, to Lancers freshman Marcos Giron before reeling off five straight games.

“I wanted to start off against Marcos and get a groove in, since he’s a freshman, but he surprised me a lot,” Matthews said. “He’s going to be really good ... Coach told me to win one singles, and we had to sweep in doubles. But usually, in their last few matches, I noticed our doubles starts off slow. I thought I’d have to win at least two today for us to win.”

Matthews came through on his end of the bargain. He also knocked off McMorrow, who won the CIF singles division of the prestigious Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament last month. But, in his last match of the day, a somewhat fatigued Matthews fell to Thousand Oaks junior Denis Lin — his first loss of the high school dual match season.

Lin’s 6-3 victory helped Thousand Oaks secure at least the 9-9 tie. The teams were tied in sets after each of the first two rounds, but the Lancers maintained a small lead in games all the way to the end.

McMorrow and Lin won all six of their other matches, winning 36 of 37 games.

“Corona del Mar has gone far into the playoffs many, many times,” Thousand Oaks Coach Dave Assorson said. “I know they wish they could have gone on, but we figure it’s our time now.”

CIF Southern Section

Division I Playoffs

Second round

Thousand Oaks 9, Corona del Mar 9

(Thousand Oaks wins 69-66 on games)

Singles – Pham (CdM) lost to Lin, 0-6, lost to McMorrow, 0-6, lost to Giron, 0-6; Tremper (CdM) lost, 0-6, 0-6, 1-6; Matthews (CdM) lost, 3-6, won, 6-4, 6-2.

Doubles – Korber-Peyton (CdM) lost to Johnson-Wang, 4-6, def. Kim-Br. Moon, 6-0, def. Kunisaki-Be. Moon, 6-0; Buchert-Felgueroso (CdM) lost, 4-6, won, 6-4, 6-1; Damion-Fisher (CdM) won, 6-4, 6-0, 6-0.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].