Boys’ Tennis Move on Despite Preseason Record

KEVIN KONG
Sports Editor

Going into the regular season with a final preseason record of 0-9, the varsity boys’ tennis team was determined to improve in order to continue defending their Almont League title for the third consecutive year. The boys played their first regular season game against their long-time tennis rival, the San Gabriel Matadors, on Mar. 26.
However, the boys lost with a score of 0-18, making the team’s current record 0-2 and their overall record 0-11.
“[Our weakest area is] our inexperience, [since] we haven’t played enough [games and have] very few experienced players,” Head Coach Tom Jelsma said.
The team lost eight seniors last year, leaving only one returning member. The remainder of the team, according to Jelsma, is new to the varsity team.
“[Our main focus is] working on our weak spots and becoming more consistent in our shots,” sophomore Arie Quintanilla said.
The Moors practice daily after school on the tennis courts and constantly train by running and stretching, followed by team drills, individual drills, practice scrimmages and end with conditioning.
The Moor’s fifth regular season game will take place on Apr. 11 against the Bell Garden Lancers.
“We never give up; we have a lot of endurance. [Our goal this year is] to win the league [championship],” sophomore Douglas Pang said.