Action at Oak Park in Stockton on Monday and Tuesday, May 18 and 19 saw two Escalon tennis doubles teams battle to third place finishes.

The boys doubles team of Luca Cerasi and Ben Ferreira – who went undefeated in the Trans-Valley League this past season – took the courts, along with the mixed doubles team of Nathan Rose and Emma Rangel. During the regular season, Rose was the number one boys singles player for Escalon, while Rangel was typically partnered with Marina Franzia for girls number one doubles. Cerasi, Rose and Rangel are four-year players for the Cougars; Ferreira joined the team this year as a senior.

For the Section tournament, Rose and Rangel went in as the number one seed for the TVL in mixed doubles.

“They won on Monday against Waterford and Argonaut,” Escalon head coach Julianne Eavenson said of starting off strong on the first day of the tournament. “Tuesday they lost against Bret Harte and played for third-fourth place against the Ripon Christian doubles team of Kora (Harris) and Derek (Meester).”

Against their RC counterparts, Rose and Rangel were victorious, coming away with a third place Section (state) showing.

“I had Luca and Ben as the number one seed for TVL for boys doubles,” Eavenson added. “They won on Monday against Waterford and Argonaut, the same as mixed.”

Tuesday, the boys lost their opener against Summerville, falling to the Bears in the semifinals. Cerasi and Ferreira then played Riverbank for third-fourth place and won, noted the coach.

So, like the mixed doubles, the boys doubles for Escalon took third overall in the competition.

“They all played some amazing tennis, they worked so hard this entire season and it really showed out there on the court,” Eavenson said. “They worked very well together and it was really amazing to see them all play together one last time for their senior year.”

Both doubles teams bringing home third place state honors, she said, was a great way to wrap it all up.

“I’ve had Nate and Emma and Luca since their freshman year so it was a very amazing ending to their high school tennis careers,” the coach said.