The 2007 season was cut short for the Point Loma High School Pointers boys tennis team on Thursday, May 10, with a heartbreaking 76-67 loss to Westview High.
“Midway through the match, we had a chance to take control, but we couldn’t close it out,” said head coach Tim Cunningham.
“It came down to where if we had won this point then we could have gone up 5-4. Instead, they won the point and closed it 6-4. I had a bad feeling about that.”
The scoring for tennis is based on three points per singles and doubles teams.
Each team has three singles players and three doubles teams. There is a maximum of 18 points awarded.
If the match is tied at 9-9, the individual games are added up to declare a winner.
Despite the loss, the Pointers were still able to accomplish an undefeated regular season (18-0), a playoff win and season sweeps of league rivals Mira Mesa, Mission Bay, Morse, Patrick Henry, Serra and San Diego.
“Afterward, I told our guys not to get down,” Cunningham said. “We finished 19-1, beat Mount Carmel in the CIF quarterfinals and actually tied with Westview in the semifinals, but lost out on a tie-breaker. The guys were very upbeat, though.”
Seven of the Pointers’ top nine players will return next year. The No. 1 and No. 3 singles players ” freshmen Corey Smith (48-0) and Nathaniel Johnson (38-6) ” will have a full year under their belt going into the 2008 season.
Point Loma will have to replace senior Carl Stricker next season. Stricker went 42-3 and was the top singles player for PLHS in the three previous years.
“It will be hard to make up for Carl Stricker leaving, but Carl’s brother has been practicing and will be ready for next year,” Cunningham said.
In addition to Stricker, team captain Trevor Cunningham, a senior, will also have to be replaced.
Cunningham, along with sophomore Ryan Harris, formed the Pointers’ top doubles team and posted a 46-5 record.
The No. 2 doubles team of juniors Stefan Peters and Shivam Patel (27-11) and No. 3 doubles team Jack Newman and John Davies (40-14) are expected to return next year, as well.