Boys Tennis Season Wraps Up After Tough CIF Match

Despite a tough ending to the season, junior Gabriel Yanez says the boys’ tennis team made major strides this year, growing both individually and as a group.

Yanez reflected on one of his most memorable recent matches, where he battled back after a rough start and nearly pulled off a comeback victory.

“It was good. I started off losing, but in the second part of the game, I managed to make a comeback and even reached a tiebreaker,” Yanez said. “Unfortunately, my coach cut me, and I ended up losing. However, if we went to ten because that’s what you usually do, but we went to seven, and I believe I could have won.”

Although the team faced opponents who were often ranked higher, Yanez said the players consistently competed harder than expected. He explained that the unique scoring system used in some matches may have thrown the team off mentally, despite playing well enough to win under normal circumstances.

The team ultimately qualified for CIF competition, marking a successful end to the season. However, their playoff run was cut short after a first-round loss. Yanez was also unable to compete due to illness.

“The season ended really well for everyone,” Yanez said. “We made it to CIF, but they lost in the first round, and I couldn’t go because I was sick.”

When asked about the toughest competition this season, Yanez immediately pointed to Santa Maria, the eventual CIF champions.

“The toughest team I faced was definitely Santa Maria,” Yanez said. “Their number one player had the fastest serves of anyone I encountered.”

Even with the difficult competition, Yanez believes he improved significantly throughout the year, especially in his serves and overall ball control. He also praised the development of the rest of the team, many of whom were brand new to competitive tennis.

“Most of these players have never played tennis like this,” Yanez said. “It is very different compared to PE tennis, so they had to learn everything.”

According to Yanez, one player stood out the most in terms of improvement: teammate Clerenz.

“At the start of the season, he looked like he was born yesterday and really didn’t know what he was doing,” Yanez joked. “But now he looks like he has been playing for years.”

Although the season brought challenges, Yanez says his favorite match was his most recent one because of the energy and memorable moments throughout the game.

“One standout moment was when the ball was going out, and somehow it hit my racket while I was trying to call it out,” Yanez said.

From learning the fundamentals of competitive tennis to reaching CIF playoffs, the boys’ tennis team closed out the season with noticeable growth and optimism for the future.