Ghs boys tennis team takes 5-2 lashing at hands of neighboring
rival Live Oak
MORGAN HILL – The rain-out make-up game between rivals Gilroy and Live Oak was a reversal of fortune the second time around Tuesday as the visiting Mustangs were nixed by a 5-2 spread – the same result they beat the Acorns by in their first clash.
“It was a tough battle. The Live Oak guys played the best I’ve ever seen them play. Not to take anything away from our guys, but those guys played great. They had a good day,” said second-year head coach Chris Yoder, who’s become very familiar with Gilroy’s neighboring rivals. “We’re looking forward to playing Live Oak again. They were already talking about that after match was over.”
Next time will be Thursday, May 1 on the Gilroy courts at 3:30 p.m. and Live Oak is expected to have its freshman phenom, David Polayes, back in the starting line-up.
“They will be stronger in singles with him in there, but we’re ready for the battle,” said Yoder, whose squad is now tied for first place with Salinas at 10-3 in T-CAL. However, Salinas has beaten the Mustangs (11-4 overall) two of three times this season.
Polayes did not play for the Acorns on Tuesday – but neither did Gilroy senior Tomas Carrillo, a top doubles player, due to illness.
It was the singles match-ups that caused all kinds of problems for the Mustangs this time around, though. Gilroy lost all four – which guarantees a loss in the best-of-seven match.
“I didn’t think they’d get swept. I actually thought win three out of four. But it’s difficult to say. I knew LO had good players and they actually played better than we did, today.”
Senior No. 1 man Robbie Marques dropped a 4-6, 2-6 decision to Live Oak’s David Lucarelli-Cowles in their first encounter of this season.
“It was a good match,” Yoder said, “but Lucarelli-Cowles, he played a little better,” Yoder said.
Senior No. 2 Mark Heisy and junior No. 4 Mark Hsieh both lost three-set matches as Heisy fell 5-7, 6-4, 2-6 to Live Oak’s Nick Cotta and Hsieh faltered 3-6, 6-4, 3-6 to Acorns’ Nick Matsomoto.
In the No. 3 position, senior Jacob Pniewski went down in straight sets to Live Oak’s Chris Laskodi 3-6, 4-6.
The mix-and-match Gilroy doubles line-up due to Carrillo’s absence accounted for the team’s two wins.
Juniors Ray Rivera and Anthony Christian paired up to beat the Acorns’ top duo of Ryan Alexander and Rob Ferrando in convincing fashion, 6-3, 6-2. Meanwhile, the No. 3 brothers tandem of senior Chris Adams and freshman Scott Adams cruised to a 6-4, 6-0 straight-sets victory.
In the No. 2 doubles spot, junior Peter Adams and sophomore PJ Jamal lost a three-setter, 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 2-6.
