Eagles warm up for Breakers with Mustangs

COSTA MESA — Coach Rachel de los Santos really liked the timing.

Back from spring break, the Estancia High boys’ tennis team played host to Costa Mesa Monday.

“Some of my guys probably didn’t even play during spring break, so I really think they’re using this as just sort of ‘a get back into it, practice, warm up, getting ready for [today],’ ” de los Santos said. “They know [today] is the big one.”

In every sport, Estancia versus Costa Mesa tends to be the big one in town.

But the cross-town rivalry took a backseat as the Eagles easily won, 14-4, in an Orange Coast League match.

One Eagles player even hung out with the Mustangs’ fans on the top of the visitor bleachers during the match. Costa Mesa’s No. 1 doubles team joked that it messed around during one of its sets.

Don’t count on a friendly atmosphere today, when Estancia, ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern Section Division IV coaches’ poll, plays at No. 5 Laguna Beach at 3 p.m. First-place in league is at stake.

The Eagles (9-3, 4-1 in league) are one match behind the Breakers (5-0 in league). Laguna Beach handed Estancia an 11-7 league loss earlier this season. Only twice have the defending league champion Eagles lost during the league’s two-year existence.

The coach is trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again. She plans to change things up against Laguna Beach. News of this hit some Eagles after Bradley Fisher, Ely Zaidler and Danny O’Neil swept singles action, dropping only five games to Costa Mesa (0-5 in league).

“I don’t know,” de los Santos said of how the players will react to her tinkering with the lineup. “This will be the first time switching things up this year. What they have to realize is tennis feels very much like an individual sport. But ultimately you’re playing for the team. I think when I explain that to them they’ll be receptive to it.”

Fisher, unfazed, said the only change against Laguna Beach he’s looking forward to is “a win.” The senior has nothing to worry about regarding his status. The No. 1 singles player is staying put along with Zaidler, the No. 2 singles player. They swept their sets against the Breakers the last time.

Fisher remembers one of the three well, a 6-4 victory against freshman Jake Michaels.

“He looks like he’s like 30,” Fisher said. “They need to check his birth certificate. It looks like he’s shaving every day already.”

Five o’clock shadow or not, Michaels made a difference in the first of three showdowns, a major reason why Estancia is lurking in the background.

Michaels and freshman Benito Romeo each picked up wins against O’Neil, Estancia’s No. 3 singles player.

O’Neil is one player de los Santos said she might move to No. 1 doubles to play with Nick Oliver, giving the Eagles a fighting chance in doubles action. Laguna Beach convincingly swept doubles on Feb. 3, Oliver and Chris Koreerat fared the best, still losing, 2-6, 2-6, 2-6.

O’Neil said he can’t wait to compete against the Breakers again, even if it means sophomore Kevin Thomas, a doubles player, is inserted into his singles spot.

“Bring it on,” the junior said.

His coach thinks Estancia is ready for Round 2.

“I think this is the best kind of practice,” de los Santos said of returning from a long layoff to play Costa Mesa before the Breakers. “If [the Breakers] beat us, then there’s really no chance for us to win league. We have to beat them and then it would come down to our third match against them [on April 22, the last regular-season match].

“We’re hoping [it does]. Otherwise, it’ll just be a warm up for Ojai.”

Orange Coast League

Estancia 14, Costa Mesa 4

Singles – Fisher (E) def. Koeller, 6-0, def. Adams, 6-1, def. (sub) Le, 6-0; Zaidler (E) won, 6-0, 6-0, def. Cheskes-Harris, 6-0; O’Neil (E) won, 6-1, 6-0, def. Cheskes-Harris, 6-3.

Doubles – Argueta-Thomas (E) lost to Tran-Sneen, 2-6, def. Desiderio-Truong, 6-1, def. Nguyen-Dang, 6-1; Koreerat-Oliver (E) won, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3; Varma-Golden (E) lost, 0-6, (sub) Golden-Ulrich (E), lost, 2-6, (sub) Urich-Torres (E) lost, 0-6.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].