Bright, West Boca seek titles

Junior is trying to get back to states again

Anna Bright has a shot to win at states for a third straight season, but this year will be the West Boca tennis star’s last trip to Sanlando Park if she or the Bulls girls team advance past regionals.

Bright, a junior and the fourth-ranked girls singles player in Florida, is set to graduate in May — a year early — to play tennis for the University of California-Berkeley.

“I know the other teams are kind of happy that we won’t have her [after this year],” West Boca coach Pam Telford said.

A two-time Sun Sentinel Player of the Year, Bright won her third straight district singles title last week and, with partner Allyson Nerf, a sophomore, took the doubles title as well to help defending state champion West Boca earn its second consecutive District 14-3A team title.

“She knows how to open up the court, she slices, she tops — she really does it all,” Telford said. “She’s so mentally strong that it takes a lot to beat her.”

Bright won two state individual singles and two state doubles titles as a freshman. As a sophomore, she led the Bulls to a Florida Class 3A championship; an FHSAA change to the state tournament format last year kept her from competing for individual honors.

As the first round of regionals opens Tuesday, West Boca (8-2) is set to host Merritt Island at 3 p.m. As district champ, Bright already qualified for individual play at the state tournament, which begins April 24.

Whether Bright contends for individual state titles or helps West Boca defend its crown depends on whether the Bulls can advance past regionals this week.

Cypress Bay eyes repeat

With district titles in hand, Cypress Bay’s boys and girls teams kick off regionals with an eye toward repeat Florida championships.

The Lightning girls have won three straight Class 4A championships, while the boys have won two in a row.

No. 1 singles player Nicolas Cabrera and his partner in the Lightning’s No. 1 doubles team, junior Jan Acevedo, have already qualified for states. They’ll lead Cypress Bay’s boys as they host District 13-4A runner-up St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday.

The Lightning beat St. Thomas in the regular season, and coach Vince Grossi believes his squad will prevail in its regional opener as well.

“We’ll be at full strength,” Grossi said. “And I know we’ll be prepared to play.”

Heritage-Delray peaking

After falling to eventual champion Miami Gulliver Prep in the first round of last year’s Class 2A boys state tournament, American Heritage-Delray (10-3) hopes to make a deeper run this season.

The Stallions won District 14-2A, led by Harvard signee Steven Sun. Coach Brian Schleifer feels his team has momentum headed into regionals.

“We’re playing our best tennis at the right time,” Schleifer said. “We have a lot of kids that have been on the team for a number of years and it really means a lot to them.”

American Heritage-Delray will face Satellite on Tuesday.

Boca talent runs deep

Boca Raton has all the swagger of a team that expects to stay alive.

“We have a really deep team,” Bobcats coach Shelia Townsend said. “I’m confident they’ll make it to states as a team.”

Boca Raton’s girls team prevailed in all but one of the last week’s district championship matches, with senior Mya Fuentes and sophomore Cassie McLay winning the No. 1 doubles title to qualify for states.

Spanish River freshman Rachele Rimondini beat Fuentes to qualify in No. 1 singles.