Continuing to roll, the Cougar tennis team notched a couple more wins on the court this past week.
They were 8-1 winners on April 9 against Millennium. Landon Underwood was at boys number one singles and Nathan Rose at number two and took wins, while the girls singles players of Kali Castellanos and Marina Franzia also were winners. All the singles players got their wins in straight sets.
Boys number one doubles, girls number one and number two doubles and the mixed doubles teams were winners. The loss came in boys number two singles, for Cooper Fugett and Logan Wentzell.
Daniel Adams and Luca Cerasi won 6-1, 6-2 in boys number one doubles; girls number one doubles Emma Rangel and Paloma Lara won 6-2, 6-1. Number two Carolina Sandoval and Ashlyn Paxman won in three sets and Violet Da Silva and Maddox Neilson swept to a 6-0, 6-0 mixed doubles victory.
On Friday, the Cougar squad hosted Ripon and earned a tough 5-4 victory to stay undefeated in league, improving to 9-0.
In the singles play, Marina Franzia was the lone winner for Escalon, winning 6-4, 6-1. Underwood, Rose and Castellanos all fell to their Ripon opponents.
In boys doubles action, Adams and Cerasi went to three sets to get their win, while Fugett and Wentzell lost. Rangel and Lara were straight set winners in girls number one doubles, Sandoval and Paxman won 6-4, 6-3 at number two and for mixed doubles, Da Silva and Neilson were 6-2, 6-4 winners.
“We clinched the TVL title at Friday’s match,” said coach Julianne Eavenson. “Our entire team has worked so hard to get us to this position in league and I’m looking forward to seeing how we will finish our league and our playoff seed.”
This week, the team is on the road to face off with Hughson.
VOLLEYBALL BOYS
Facing off against some tough, more experienced volleyball teams, the first year Cougar varsity boys volleyball team lost to Ripon and Enochs.
They fell to Ripon in TVL play on April 9, losing 9-25, 16-25, 14-25.
“We did not play our best Tuesday,” admitted head coach Shay Beam.
Mikie Lourenco had six kills, Carson Medina had four and Preston Berhorst notched two.
Wednesday, they were on the road for non-league play at Enochs.
“They are a very strong program” Beam said.
The Cougar boys lost 11-25, 11-25, 12-25.
“We played better, Mike got five kills, Carson got four and Ethan (Jacobs) and Preston each got two,” Beam added. “Setter Ben Ferreira got 12 assists.”
For the JV boys, it was a similar fate, as they lost to Ripon 8-25, 13-25 to start the week and then fell in straight sets to Enochs, 12-25, 15-25.
Against Ripon, Ezra Rameno had nine digs. In the Enochs match, Christian Ramirez had nine assists and K’Oz Castro had five kills.
GOLF BOYS
The TVL tournament, number four, was hosted by Riverbank this past week. Escalon took fourth as a team with a score of 531. They trailed Ripon, 408; Hughson, 482; and Livingston, 512, on the day. The squad did finish in front of Hilmar and Riverbank.
Leading Escalon were Brenden Berchtold and Noah Ghiglieri, tying for seventh and each shooting an 89 on the day.
“That 89 is Noah’s personal best. Nate Krieger shot a 106 which is his personal best as well,” said head coach Brandon Hoover. “This tournament was played at La Contenta in Valley Springs.”
The next tournament for the squad will be April 18 at Turlock Country Club.
TRACK AND FIELD
On the road against Livingston this past week, the varsity girls won by a wide margin, 114-22.
“My standout ladies were Alondra Gonzalez, a junior who won three events, the 100 meter dash, long jump and triple jump, bringing in 15 points for the team,” said coach Alejandro Garcia. “Another lady who also won three events was Kylie Fast, a freshman who won the 800 meter run, 1600 meter run, and the 3200 meter run. My third outstanding lady was Chloe Farley who once again brought in 10 points for the team by winning the shotput and discus.”
The varsity boys had a tight, close competition, losing to the Wolves by just four points.
“It was an exciting meet to watch, seeing the points going back and forth. The final score was 70-66,” said Garcia.
Standouts for the varsity boys were Andrew Morales, who won the 800 and 1600 meter races, getting 10 points by himself, and helping the 4-by-400 relay team win. Jose Romero also scored 10 individual points, winning the shotput and discus.
“Overall, we are excited to see how the men are performing and how they will finish the season,” the coach said.
The varsity girls are currently in third place in league; the boys are sixth.
Escalon will host a home meet – the first in several seasons and the first on the new track – on Wednesday, April 17 at 4 p.m.
