Live Oak excited for April 6 rematch against Yerba Buena
MORGAN HILL — Roughly 24 hours after losing 4-3 to Yerba Buena, members of the boys tennis team at Live Oak High School huddled under an eve on their home campus, trying to decide where to practice as rain fell around them.
The more popular topic was the Aztec Warriors; better yet, how the title-hungry Acorns were going to catch Yerba Buena in the West Valley Division standings.
“It’s encouraging to see them focused like that,” second-year LOHS coach Brad Leach said. “You like that reaction. The guys are upbeat and still look like they’re having fun. Even though they came up short yesterday, they’re ready to go back to work.”
Although last Thursday’s loss was only the second match of the league season, it also could prove to be one of the biggest for Live Oak, which has a chance to win its first conference championship since 1997. The Acorns (2-1 league) boast a precociously strong ladder that will be tough to beat in the ‘C’ division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. Only the Aztec Warriors (3-0) and their 14-man roster appear more well rounded.
The two will play again April 6.
“We really want to win this thing,” Live Oak’s Q. Farrooqui, who’s part of a No. 1 doubles team with Bryant Gamboa, said Friday. “I think we have a good chance to do it. Even when we lose, we don’t lose bad. We go all out.”
That speaks volumes about the Acorns’ work ethic and leadership. Even when their talented singles aren’t good for their usual sweep, as they were Tuesday when LOHS shook off its YB hangover to clip Overfelt 4-3, the Acorns’ doubles are prepared to step up.
“That takes a lot of pressure off me, knowing if I lose, we can still win the match overall,” top single Derek Johnson said. “That’s what counts most.”
Johnson alone has much to be excited about this spring. The junior is showing tremendous progress, according to Leach, and could be a dark horse to win the West Valley singles crown and reach the BVAL Finals tournament. With his 6-foot-4 frame, Johnson has great range plus an imposing serve.
“He’s driven to succeed,” Leach said. “The kid picked up a racket like five years ago, and now he’s playing incredibly high-level tennis. I have no doubt that if he started playing at a young age, he’d be thinking about going pro right now.”
Teammates feed off Johnson’s intensity on the court.
“He screams a lot during matches, like ‘Come on!’ That emotion pumps us up,” Gamboa said. “Our opponents will get scared and look at us weird, and we’ll be like, ‘It happens every match.'”
Live Oak has two more varsity-veteran singles in Ryan Campbell and Dylan Johnson, Derek’s twin brother. Freshman Bryan Freitas has held his own in the No. 4 spot.
“Ryan’s very consistent with the ball,” Gamboa said. “We go into every match knowing our singles are going to put us in position to win as a team.”
Gamboa and Farrooqui work well together. They have been playing doubles since their freshmen-year PE class.
“We’ve always been friends, so we’re naturally a good team,” Farrooqui said. “He’s there to pick me up after I make a mistake, and I try to do the same. We don’t blame each other when we lose.”
Spencer McClellan, who joins Campbell as the team’s only seniors, starts in a No. 3 pair with Clay Carlson. Mark Fischer and Alec Malakis hold the No. 2 spot.
All three doubles teams were bested in the loss to Yerba Buena.
“We know it’s going to come down to us in the end if we want to win league,” Farrooqui said. “So, we’re all trying to get better and be consistent.”
