With a 6-1 win over Livingston to close out the regular season at 11-1 and claim the Trans-Valley League championship, Escalon moved on to the TVL Tournament on Friday and came away with a pair of champions there.
On Tuesday, the team hosted Livingston and easily defeated the Wolves.
"I'm real proud of the kids, they worked hard for it," coach Dan Thompson said of the TVL title. "We were able to defeat Livingston 6-1 to close it out and clinched it at home, the next closest team to us had four losses."
Wins came at boys singles for Grant Tower and Tyson Lane, at girls singles for Brittany Rigg, and in doubles play. Brandon Longstreth and Robert Stocks won at boys doubles, Coral Rocha and Staci Gentry at girls doubles and Rick Drewrey and Tiffany McGuire at mixed doubles. Taking the only loss on the afternoon was Breanne Cardoza at girls singles, fighting hard in a 4-6, 4-6 defeat.
"This is the best team I've ever coached," Thompson said of the talent up and down the line up. "We have a good team, we're just real solid."
There were stellar efforts from several players, including the 12-0 showing of Tower at boys number one singles for the season, with the girls number two player, Rigg, also playing to a perfect mark in league. Mixed doubles and girls doubles both went 11-1, while Lane went 8-4 at boys number two singles and Cardoza was 7-4 at number one girls singles.
In the Trans-Valley League Tournament on Friday at the SOS Club in Modesto, the Cougars were well represented and came home with two league titles.
"Tyson Lane got beat in the first round but he played very well," noted Thompson. "Breanne Cardoza also had an early exit, she had a tough match against the league's top player, a girl from Livingston."
Boys doubles Stocks and Longstreth played their way to the finals but lost there, settling for second place in league. The same held true for Drewrey and McGuire in mixed doubles.
Rigg, at the number two girls singles, made it all the way to the finals as well and lost her decision there, finishing second.
Making it to the final round and coming home with wins were Tower at boys number one singles, and the girls doubles team of Rocha and Gentry.
"Grant defeated Michael Blaine to win the TVL championship," said Thompson. "Brittany lost to Christine Yarborough of Patterson but they both advance to Sections at Oak Park in Stockton on Wednesday."
Rocha and Gentry got some revenge, beating a Hughson girls doubles squad that had defeated them during the regular season.
"They had been an undefeated team for Hughson, our girls won when it counted and there was just good play by Staci and Coral," Thompson noted. "So we had representatives in all of the final categories and two champions."
Drewrey and McGuire took their Ripon counterparts to three sets before falling and Thompson said he was pleased with the level of play from all his team members at the tournament.
"I was thrilled, I was just savoring it," Thompson said of placing competitors in every final match category on the day.
Tower, Rigg and the girls doubles tandem of Rocha and Gentry continue on to the subsections at Oak Park. The team sections begin next week, Escalon will have a first round bye by virtue of winning the TVL title.
"We also had several All-League selections," Thompson said. "Grant Tower was the league MVP, plus we had Tyson Lane, Rick Drewrey, Brittany Rigg and Tiffany McGuire make all league, so we had five players from our team that were considered all-stars."
By MARG JACKSON
On Tuesday, the team hosted Livingston and easily defeated the Wolves.
"I'm real proud of the kids, they worked hard for it," coach Dan Thompson said of the TVL title. "We were able to defeat Livingston 6-1 to close it out and clinched it at home, the next closest team to us had four losses."
Wins came at boys singles for Grant Tower and Tyson Lane, at girls singles for Brittany Rigg, and in doubles play. Brandon Longstreth and Robert Stocks won at boys doubles, Coral Rocha and Staci Gentry at girls doubles and Rick Drewrey and Tiffany McGuire at mixed doubles. Taking the only loss on the afternoon was Breanne Cardoza at girls singles, fighting hard in a 4-6, 4-6 defeat.
"This is the best team I've ever coached," Thompson said of the talent up and down the line up. "We have a good team, we're just real solid."
There were stellar efforts from several players, including the 12-0 showing of Tower at boys number one singles for the season, with the girls number two player, Rigg, also playing to a perfect mark in league. Mixed doubles and girls doubles both went 11-1, while Lane went 8-4 at boys number two singles and Cardoza was 7-4 at number one girls singles.
In the Trans-Valley League Tournament on Friday at the SOS Club in Modesto, the Cougars were well represented and came home with two league titles.
"Tyson Lane got beat in the first round but he played very well," noted Thompson. "Breanne Cardoza also had an early exit, she had a tough match against the league's top player, a girl from Livingston."
Boys doubles Stocks and Longstreth played their way to the finals but lost there, settling for second place in league. The same held true for Drewrey and McGuire in mixed doubles.
Rigg, at the number two girls singles, made it all the way to the finals as well and lost her decision there, finishing second.
Making it to the final round and coming home with wins were Tower at boys number one singles, and the girls doubles team of Rocha and Gentry.
"Grant defeated Michael Blaine to win the TVL championship," said Thompson. "Brittany lost to Christine Yarborough of Patterson but they both advance to Sections at Oak Park in Stockton on Wednesday."
Rocha and Gentry got some revenge, beating a Hughson girls doubles squad that had defeated them during the regular season.
"They had been an undefeated team for Hughson, our girls won when it counted and there was just good play by Staci and Coral," Thompson noted. "So we had representatives in all of the final categories and two champions."
Drewrey and McGuire took their Ripon counterparts to three sets before falling and Thompson said he was pleased with the level of play from all his team members at the tournament.
"I was thrilled, I was just savoring it," Thompson said of placing competitors in every final match category on the day.
Tower, Rigg and the girls doubles tandem of Rocha and Gentry continue on to the subsections at Oak Park. The team sections begin next week, Escalon will have a first round bye by virtue of winning the TVL title.
"We also had several All-League selections," Thompson said. "Grant Tower was the league MVP, plus we had Tyson Lane, Rick Drewrey, Brittany Rigg and Tiffany McGuire make all league, so we had five players from our team that were considered all-stars."
By MARG JACKSON
