LO continues turnaround with 11-4 win over Sobrato
MORGAN HILL — For the Live Oak badminton team, Thursday’s 11-4 victory over Sobrato was especially sweet.
Sweet not just because it came against the visiting cross-town rival Bulldogs, but because it doubled the Acorns’ win total in West Valley Division play from a year ago.
“Last season, they went 2-16,” Live Oak first-year coach Bharat Poria said. “This year, we are 4-3. We have four wins and we aren’t halfway through the season.”
You can attribute the team’s turnaround to Poria, a freshly turned 50-year-old badminton guru who played for England’s national team and, in 1985, passed on coaching the U.S. because he “didn’t have the time.”
Then there are his players. Poria’s top boys single, Johann Christ Abordo is unbeaten, and his No. 1 girls single, Sara Ann Garber is nursing a knee injury — but still making her presence felt.
“It’s just consistent play, working with strategy and keeping the game simple,” Poria said when asked about the secret to his team’s success.
Abordo, a senior, moved to 7-0 Thursday with a victory over Sobrato’s Anthony Langga in straight sets, 15-0, 15-0. Abordo has a chance of making a deep run in next month’s Blossom Valley Athletic League Finals — which will be held at Live Oak High School.
“I expect him to finish strong at BVAL Finals and go to CCS,” Poria said. “He’s motivated. He listens not only during practice, but when I talk to him during games.”
Garber, whose relatives also badminton for Live Oak, moved back to the No. 1 girls spot, where she beat Ashley Tharayil of Sobrato, 15-11, 15-8.
Mov Roatanak was the Bulldogs’ only single to win. He defeated Owen Frederick in three sets 16-17, 15-8, 15-10.
“He lost the first game … then blew away the next two games,” said Sobrato coach Arturo Zapico, 22, also in his first year. “He learns quickly. I tell him to do something, and it clicks in his head right away.”
Langga, Roatanak and Tharayil are bright spots for the winless Bulldogs, who went 8-8 a year ago.
“I’ve told my players, every season has its rough parts,” Zapico said. “Badminton is a very technical game. You have to be confident and motivated to learn new things.”
Zapico sees those qualities in Tharayil. The unshakable sophomore is 3-3 this season.
“She’s been doing very well, improving a lot,” Zapico said. “Regardless of who she’s playing, she’s never intimidated. She always does her best.”
Live Oak closed out a sweep in girls singles play with victories by Emily Mandel (15-1, 15-0) and freshman Megan Hartman (15-12, 15-10) over Allison Bettoncourt and Gill Harsimran, respectively. It was Hartman’s first triumph at the high school level.
Live Oak’s mixed and girls doubles pairings went unbeaten with all six teams winning their matches in straight sets. Jessica Liang and Kristen Pitsenbargar beat Elena Thoms and Kati MacDonnell 15-6, 15-7; Ada Tan and Sayuri Ramirez defeated Sierra Nicholson and Dorothy Doan 15-11, 15-7; and Alexandra Muniz and Brittanie Lloyd downed Caitlin Colladay and Rachael Hodo 15-11, 15-7 to round out girls doubles. In mixed pairs, Qilun Zhou and Aubree Garber — Sara’s sister — beat Bryan Sperbeck and Taylor Keith 15-6, 15-3; Shahrooz Bastamy and Naromy Ramirez bested Noe Ramirez and Meriam Ali 15-2, 15-2; and Steven Nonnenmacher and Katie Fernandez rolled past Ernest Yip and Joycelyn Binn 15-8, 15-3.
Sobrato won two of the three boys doubles matches, getting a forfeit and a victory from Cole Faletta and Corey Johnson over Miguel Mahany and Jaehoon Kim, 9-15, 15-7, 15-11. The Acorns’ top boys pair of Addien Wray and Peter Mains beat Navdeep Gill and Tim Stullich 15-7, 15-5.
Sobrato dropped to 0-7.
“From here, we have to work harder and shake off the losses,” Zapico said. “If we practice more, we can turn this around.”
