Corona del Mar boys' tennis still on top in the Sunset League
Meet the new (Sea) Kings, same as the old (Sea) Kings.
The Corona del Mar High boys' tennis team lost its top two players, Niels Hoffmann and Jack Cross, to graduation.
But a deep and talented lineup has squashed any doubts this season.
CdM swept in singles and beat Marina 12-6 on Wednesday afternoon at its home courts, clinching at least a share of the Sunset League title with three matches remaining.
The Sea Kings had dominated the four-team Surf League in recent years, splitting the league crown with Fountain Valley in 2021 before three straight undefeated league campaigns. Now, even with the move to the larger, seven-team Sunset League, CdM is still on top.
Corona del Mar (11-2, 9-0 in league) has advanced to the CIF Southern Section Open Division title match in each of the last three years, falling to rival University every time.
'The goal is always to win a league title, and then to be in the Open Division playoffs,' CdM coach Jamie Gresh said. 'That's the goal every year, and I think we are playing Open-level tennis. We have good depth in doubles, and the singles guys are playing some good tennis right now as well.'
CdM junior Ivan Pflueger and freshmen Henry Dennison and Blake Fraley easily swept in singles against Marina (9-3, 4-3), as the Vikings put each of their top four players in doubles. The CdM doubles teams of Mason Nguyen and Tristan Pham, Jack Barnes and Justin Pamer, as well as Roger Geng and Brody Jao, won one set each.
Pflueger, who is 6-foot-6, has had to stand tall as the top returning singles player.
'Definitely a little more pressure, because I'm kind of expected to win now,' he said. 'Niels and Jack kind of carried it at singles the last couple of years. But yeah, I just have to deal with that and get my wins, do my best.'
Pflueger added that the team camaraderie is good this year, echoing his coach that winning league and making a deep playoff run remains the goal.
CdM had the match wrapped up early against Marina, allowing seniors Pham and Ansel Lee to skip the third round in preparation for Wednesday night's Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Awards dinner. Pham and Lee are two of CdM's valedictorians this year.
Senior Trevor Nguyen and junior David Pham, who won the CIF Individuals doubles title last year, swept in doubles for Marina. Vikings coach Chuck Kingman said they played together for the first time this season, getting ready for what they hope is a deep run at the Ojai Tournament later this month.
Last year, Nguyen and Pham lost in a tight three-set match in the Ojai semifinals.
Junior Alejandro Hill and freshman DJ Buchfeller also swept in doubles for Marina, twice coming back from 4-1 deficits.
The Vikings are getting toward full strength as the season enters the stretch run. Hill, a transfer from Servite, recently became eligible to compete. Buchfeller has missed time with a shoulder injury that forced him to serve underhand on Wednesday.
'CdM just has so much depth,' Kingman said. 'Good players and depth, which is a pretty tough combination to beat.'
Hill will be playing in singles at the prestigious Ojai Tournament, which starts on April 24, for the VIkings. Pflueger will be playing singles for CdM, with Geng and Jao in doubles.
Corona del Mar returns to Sunset League action after spring break on April 14, when it hosts rival Newport Harbor in the Battle of the Bay match. The Sea Kings beat the Sailors 16-2 in the teams' first league meeting.
Marina traveled to Newport Harbor on Thursday for another league match.
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