Boys tennis: Redwood set for MCAL title showdown against Branson
Not that the Redwood High boys tennis team needs a shot of confidence, but the Giants certainly got a measure of momentum heading into the MCAL finals with a 7-0 blanking of Marin Catholic on Tuesday.
The semifinal victory in Larkspur sets up a showdown with Branson on Thursday at 4 p.m. at Tam High. The host Bulls won their semifinal 6-1 against Tam.
Branson beat Redwood 4-3 in both regular-season meetings to win its first league title in at least 15 years. According to Redwood coach Craig Flax, the Giants were missing a key player in both losses, which could make a difference in the MCAL final.
“I think everyone feels we’re at least as good a team as they are,” said Flax. “It’s a confident group of kids. We’re very much looking forward to the rematch.”
Besides having confident, experienced players, the Giants (16-5) exude a team spirit that could also be a difference-maker on Thursday.
In the No. 2 singles match between Redwood’s Mateo Cubillos and MC’s Andrew Gorczycki, the Giants’ top singles player, Jackson Sichel, sensed his teammate needed a boost late in the first set. Waiting to take the court for his match, Sichel rallied the Giants to get off the bleachers to cheer on Cubillos, who immediately broke serve at 6-4 and proceeded to win the second set by the same score for the closest match of the day.
“MC is a pretty good team,” said Flax. “While it acts as a warmup for sure, it certainly wasn’t a given.”
Tuesday’s semifinal was never in doubt, starting with No. 3 doubles where Liam Martinez and Eric Sretavan won their match 6-0, 6-1 in 40 minutes.
The Giants were almost as efficient time-wise in No. 3 and No. 4 singles. Redwood’s Chris Lee beat Qas Vidyarthi 6-1, 6-1 and Lukas Berger shut down David Shepard 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 3 and No. 4 positions, respectively.
Sichel beat Jack Millar 6-2, 6-4 in the final match of the day.
In the No. 1 doubles match, Redwood’s Jackson Bramlette and Matt Benbow overcame a feisty first set by Colin Johnston and Ian Parnes for a 7-5, 6-0 win. Bramlette played singles for Redwood for two seasons before turning to doubles.
A rebel of sorts, opting to wear a black T-shirt instead of the team uniform, Bramlette was homecoming king in the fall and is in the running to be the Class of 2023 valedictorian. He will attend Columbia University next year.
“Today was a practice for Thursday,” said Bramlette. “This lineup is similar to what our lineup will be against Branson.”
Marin Catholic coach Corey Cheng said he expects the Wildcats (11-6) to earn an at-large berth in the North Coast Section tournament. With sophomores manning his top three singles spots, he says the Wildcats are headed in the right direction.
“We’re trying to learn from these experiences,” said Cheng. “We’re all about looking for these opportunities.”
Branson advances
Top-seeded Branson, fresh off a 16-0 run through the MCAL in the regular season, won a pair of competitive singles matches against Tam to claim a 6-1 victory in the other semifinal.
No. 2 singles player Tommie Higgins outlasted Tyler Byrne in the closest match of the day, 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (9). Chase Hoeveler had to work at No. 3 singles for a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win against Emmet McEvilley. Ishwar Jayaraman had Branson’s other singles victory at No. 4.
Tam’s top player, Witt Bulger, continued his strong season at No. 1 singles with a 6-3, 6-1 victory against Jeffrey Huang.