Prep Tennis : Palisades Arrives Late, Beats University Early

Palisades High School won the City 4-A boys’ team tennis championship Tuesday at the Racquet Centre in Studio City with a 25-4 1/2 victory over University.

The outcome was hardly unexpected. About the only chance University had was for Palisades not to show up, a possibility that existed until Palisades finally made its appearance, 25 minutes late.

Palisades Coach Bud Kling said that there had been some trouble getting a bus, although Palisades traditionally is late for championship events and is widely suspected of using tardiness as a psychological move.

In any event, the Dolphins jumped to a 8 1/2-0 lead and clinching the match at 15 1/2-2 1/2.

For Palisades, it was the 16th title in 21 years. For University, it was a third blowout loss to Palisades.

“The kids couldn’t believe we were playing Uni in the final,” Kling said. “We had killed them twice before (in Western League play). It was like they were good, but we were very good.”

With the win, Palisades completed a brilliant season--14-3-1--during which the Dolphins did not lose a match in league play. Their three losses were to Southern Section teams--4-A champion Santa Barbara, 4-A runner-up Rancho Palos Verdes Miraleste, and 4-A semifinalist Beverly Hills. The Dolphins’ tie was against Calabasas, Southern Section 3-A champion.

In the 3-A division, defending champion Eagle Rock, which rallied to win last year’s title, tried the same tactic this year but came up short against a young San Pedro team, 15 1/2-14.

Starting six seniors, San Pedro, which finished with a 17-0 record, built a seven-point lead but then almost wilted. Leading by half a point, No. 1 singles player Chris Menefee won his final singles set to give San Pedro the title.