PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Victor Brown, Alta Loma, Jr.
Victor Brown’s season was difficult to measure in sets — he didn’t lose one in Baseline League play. The Alta Loma junior lost just two games en route to his third consecutive league championship.
Don’t be surprised if he improves on that number next season.
Brown’s game is clearly developing each season, evidenced by his trip to the CIF-SS Individual final this year.
As a freshman he reached the round of 16. His sophomore season ended with a 7-5, 7-6 loss in the quarterfinals — he still laments not having capitalized on a set point in the first — to eventual CIF champion Gage Brymer, who will play at UCLA in the fall.
He ran into Brymer again this season, only it was in Brown’s first CIF final. The Alta Loma junior hung in for the first set, but lost to the defending champion, 6-4, 6-0. Nevertheless, Brown is clearly on his way up and has plenty of plans for the offseason.
“It was a great season for me, one where I definitely know I improved,” Brown said. “Because of school and tournaments and things, I only practiced two hours a day. I plan on really pushing myself and practicing five or six hours a day this summer.”
Brown has his sights set on a CIF championship next season and his future is bright beyond that. More colleges than he can count on his fingers are in pursuit of Brown, including BYU, an ideal fit for the member of the LDS Church. BYU told Brown’s father, Glen, it will do whatever it takes to bring Brown to Provo, Utah.
His unique combination of power, speed and spin give him the versatility to combat any style of player.
“And he’s a lefty, which gives people trouble all the time,” Alta Loma tennis coach Erick Ekelund said. “He uses an incredible amout of spin and tons of pace, but he’s consistent even while hitting the ball that hard.”
Brown hopes his consistent rise toward a CIF-SS championship continues next season. Of course, there is only one more step he can take.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Sean Comadena, Redlands
The Terriers’ coach led the boys team to the CIF-SS Division 4 semifinals, where they played eventual champion Riverside North its closest match of the playoffs, 12-6. The Citrus Belt League champions knocked off No. 4 seed Laguna Beach, 11-7, in the quarterfinals before running into the No. 1 seed in the next round.
FIRST TEAM
Singles
ALAN LEAHY, Claremont
The Sierra League champion put together a nice run in the playoffs, receiving a first-round before defeating the Citrus Belt League champion, 6-3, 6-0 in the third round. Leahy was ousted from the playoffs by eventual semifinalist, Austin Rapp.
TOMMY NIGHTINGALE, Los Osos
The runner-up in the Baseline League after the regular season ousted Mojave River League champion Joseph Adamiak from the first-round of the CIF-SS individual playoffs, 6-3, 6-4. Nightingale fell in the second round to the Ocean League champion.
MARIO SOMMER, San Gorgonio
The San Andreas League regular season champion went 61-2 this year, including an undefeated record against opponents from San Bernardino County. The foreign exchange student from Germany reached the second round of the CIF-SS playoffs.
Doubles
JOSEPH CACHAPERO and PATRICK STETCO, Redlands
The Citrus Belt League champions’ season didn’t end until they were two rounds into the playoffs. Cachapero and Stetco received a first-round bye, then defeated the San Andreas League runners-up, 6-1, 6-2 in the second round. The Redlands duo eventually fell to the Ocean League champions from Santa Monica, 6-2, 6-3 in the third round of the postseason.
SECOND TEAM
Singles
Patrick Cachapero, Redlands
Doubles
Nick Tangsovbanh and Wesley Lerg, Ayala
Eddie Chen and Julian Santos, Summit
HONORABLE MENTION
Singles
Carlos Villalobos, Chino
Andrew Munoz, San Bernardino
Doubles
Ethan Samaniego and Minturan Tran, Etiwanda
Anat Pai and Bon Louie Angeles, Redlands
Kevin Dominguez and Goivanni Magana, Arroyo Valley
Jeremy Mendoza and Mathew Suaste, Colony
LEAGUE CHAMPS
Baseline: Los Osos
Citrus Belt: Redlands
De Anza: Twentynine Palms
Hacienda: Rowland
Desert Sky: Granite Hills
Prep: Pasadena Poly
Mojave River: Oak Hills
Montview: Duarte
Mountain Valley: Rim of the World
Mt. Baldy: Colony, Chino
San Andreas: San Bernardino, San Gorgonio
Sierra: Claremont
Sunkist: Summit
Valle Vista: Hacienda Heights Wilson
