Win at Escondido gives Warriors 4-1 league tennis record

Fallbrook High School's boys tennis team traveled to Escondido High School for an April 11 match against the Cougars and returned home with an 11-7 victory to improve the Warriors' season record in Valley League matches to 4-1.

"We didn't play as well as we played against them the first time," said Fallbrook coach Bill Lenaway.

Fallbrook's first match of the season against Escondido was played April 3 at the Fallbrook Tennis Club and was a 14-4 Warriors victory.

"We had a lot of close sets the first time we played them," Lenaway said. "This time a couple of those sets went the other direction."

Lenaway noted that a coach's desire is to do better against a team the second time the two squads play. "That doesn't always work out when you have to travel," he said.

Fallbrook opened league competition March 20 at the Fallbrook Tennis Club with a 13-5 triumph over Valley Center. The Warriors won eight of nine doubles sets and five of nine singles sets.

"It made me happy that we were playing some pretty decent doubles," Lenaway said. "That was likely their first varsity league match ever."

Fallbrook's No. 1 doubles team of junior Richard Herrera and freshman Ethan Lenaway swept all three of their sets as did the Warriors' No. 2 doubles team comprised of freshman Chase Che and sophomore Anthony Vazquez. Freshman Conner Williamson and junior Brian Medina won two of their sets but lost to the Valley Center No. 1 team of sophomore Mark Carvajal and junior Alex Stephen.

"They're improving very quickly because they're willing to be coached," Lenaway said. "It shows up on the courts. It's kind of nice as a coach to see that."

Herrera, Vazquez, and Medina were on last year's junior varsity although they played doubles during the league tournament, which allows each school at least four singles players and four doubles teams and more if the school roster has additional players to fill out the 24-entry brackets.

Stephen Shedd and Drew Mings, who are both seniors, are Fallbrook's only two players who were on last year's varsity. Shedd won all three of his singles sets against Valley Center. Mings won two singles sets against the Jaguars.

The Warriors' only league loss during the first round of Valley League competition was a 13-5 match against San Pasqual on the Golden Eagles' court April 5, although Fallbrook swept the Golden Eagles' No. 3 doubles team.

"They're just a little better at the top than we are," said Lenaway. "We have a little more depth."

Ramona visited the Fallbrook Tennis Club April 10 and the Warriors posted a 12-6 victory against the Bulldogs. Ramona senior Brandan Ruland has not lost a league set during his high school career and won all three sets against the Warriors. The Bulldogs' other three points were scored when each Ramona doubles team defeated Fallbrook's No. 3 doubles tandem.

"They have a little more depth than us," Lenaway said.

The Warriors host San Pasqual today (April 19) and close out league and regular-season competition April 24 against the Jaguars at the Adams Community Park courts in Valley Center.

"We're going to have to play well to win," Lenaway said. "You can't really expect a lot of consistency from them. You've just got to hope."