FOOTHILL TENNIS PRELIMS
Pang plays marathon match; all 3 Wildcats singles move on
Three hours. That’s how long the singles match between Saugus High boys tennis’ Erin Pang and Valencia High’s Batis Golestany lasted in the Foothill League prelims at the Paseo Club on Wednesday.
But it was worth it for Pang, who won the first round and went on to beat Tanner Spendlove of Hart High to become the Centurions’ lone representative at the league finals.
“Going into Saugus, I knew we didn’t have the best tennis program,” Pang said. “But then I wanted to make a difference in Saugus high school and the tennis program, and by doing this, it’s a big step for me.”
Pang will take on No. 1-seeded Davey Woodland of West Ranch at today’s finals, which begin at 11 a.m. at the Paseo Club.
The Wildcats advanced all three singles players, including Woodland, to the finals.
Both Woodland and teammate Jake Anderson won each game 6-0 on a scorching hot afternoon.
“It’s really hot outside, but you’ve just got to drink a lot and hope to not lose your energy,” Anderson, who beat Saugus’ James Phan and Golden Valley’s Dylan Yu to get to the semifinals.
The Cats’ Parker McBride
sought redemption against Valencia’s Eduardo Cedeno after falling to him on April 18 in a regular season matchup.
He earned it, beating Cedeno in the second round.
“My serve was on so that helped a lot,” McBride said. “He still played pretty well, he’s a steady player. He’s pretty scary when he matches up against me.”
McBride will face Anderson in the semis and Woodland will play Pang.
In doubles, West Ranch had two pairings advance: Noah Morrow and Quincy Walter-Eze and Aristo Turalakey and Robert Kim.
Two doubles teams from Valencia also moved on. Evan Balmain and Chan Gi Kim and Jackson Boxall and Stephen Thay.
“Steven and I went out there, we didn’t think any round was going to be easy,” said Boxall. “We just played one point at a time and it worked.”
Morrow and Walter-Eze will play Balmain and Kim, while Turalakey and Kim will play Boxall and Thay.