Thanks to Maranatha Tennis for this report:
Boys Tennis:
In yet another nail-biter in a season full of them, Maranatha followed their pattern of getting an early lead before letting their opponents rally late.
It is a habit that the Minutemen will need to correct swiftly as the playoffs approach.
There isn’t much leeway in the win-or-go-home nature of the CIF-SS playoffs.
The first round of play ended with MHS leading, 4-2, as both the #2’s and #3’s in singles and doubles got wins, with both #2 Nico Engling and #3 Laci Szabo winning, 6-1, and #2 Sean Tang/Sawyer Tarampi and #3 Shahe Yerevanian/Victor Qiao winning, 6-3. #1 singles, Tim Huang, was edged out, 6-4, while #1 doubles, Jordan Miao/Joshua Im were defeated, 6-2.
The second round saw the Minutemen pull ahead before the Raiders evened the round, with Huang and Engling winning, 6-1 and 6-0, respectively, while Miao/Im were the only doubles to get a win. Tang/Tarampi continued their struggle to find consistency, playing brilliantly one moment and then losing focus the next.
They were leading against the #3’s the entire set before relinquishing their lead and succumbing in a tie-breaker (10-8). Getting a consistent level of quality play from them will be crucial for MHS’s hopes to go deep into the playoffs. Heading into the third round, Maranatha led, 7-5.
Huang opened the final round with a 6-0 victory to give the Minutemen an 8-5 lead. The Raiders then went on a 4-0 run to lead, 9-8, as Miao/Im were battling the #3’s in the final set of the day. Knowing they needed to win, they played as a team that was not going to be denied, securing a 9-9 tie with a 6-2 victory. That gave the Minutemen the 75-69 edge on games.
This was the 6th meeting between the schools in Coach Arthur Hsieh’s era at the helm of Maranatha tennis. The teams have developed a mutually respectful rivalry, with competitive tennis and good sportsmanship always being played – the way high school tennis should be. Their last match together also ended in a 9-9 tie, but with the Raiders winning on games. The schools are now 3-3 in their last 6 meetings.
The CIF-SS Div. 4 #3 ranked Minutemen run their record to 12-0 on the season (6-0 in league) and now set their sights on the Coastal League’s biggest match of the season, as Maranatha and the CIF-SS Div. 5 #4 ranked Bruins of Geffen Academy/UCLA clash for the league title on Wednesday at UCLA. With a win, Maranatha secures the league title. A loss would drop the Minutemen into a tie for 1st with Geffen.
Photo of Jordan Miao/Joshua Im courtesy of Amanda Lin
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