Marauders barely edge Panthers, again

If TNT’s motto is “We know drama,” then the cable network should look into picking up a season series of Porterville versus Monache boys tennis.

In a virtual replay of the two rivals’ first match on April 12, Monache’s winning point came in a late doubles battle that went down to the wire to win, 5-4.

The conclusion even featured the same cast of characters — Monache’s Brandon Nucum and Porterville’s Johnny Nieto and Vince Catalina. The only exception was Nucum’s partner, Awais Khalid, who filled in for cramped-up Matt Ecobiza in the No. 2 doubles match.

This time, Catalina and Nieto looked like the favorites after taking the first set, 6-4, and especially since it was Khalid’s first doubles match of the season. And knowing full well the importance of winning this point, Khalid wasn’t sure he could make it.

“It was pretty scary,” said Khalid, who hadn’t even practiced playing in doubles situations. “My first five volleys... out or net. Brandon just held it together in the first set.”

Nucum fired away with his trademark booming forehands and aggressive, yet risky, style that can either hurt his team or win games for his team.

Fortunately for the Marauders, it was the latter as Nucum and Khalid rallied to win the second set, 6-3, and the super breaker, 10-8.

“I’d say I’m comfortable with him and what he’s doing,” Monache coach Gary Perez said. “He’s just going for it and, right now, (the shots) are staying in.

“I really think he likes the big stage,” added the second-year coach, whose squad went 12-0 in EYL, 19-1 overall. “Even though Brandon is playing as well as he is, he can’t cover the whole court. Awais did a great job stepping up.”

It marked the first time in 13 years that Monache tennis has gone undefeated to win league, though none of the victories were closer than the two against Porterville. The Panthers won the previous six years.

“There’s no gimme in this league,” Perez said. “(The Panthers) came out and gave us a real good match. Porterville had a dynasty and that’s difficult to do.”

The Panthers took second place outright, thanks to Delano’s victory over Cesar Chavez on Wednesday, giving both the Delano schools one more loss than Porterville.

Not too surprisingly, the Panthers earned their same four points from the same spots as on April 12.

No. 2 singles player Patrick Lewis defeated Monache’s Drexler Alcantara, 6-3, 7-5, No. 4 Robert Lanning knocked off Khalid, 6-4, 6-4, and No. 6 Amninder Dahliwal edged the Marauders’ Jermaine Knox, 7-5, 6-4.

Despite finishing second in EYL, Porterville coach Kurt Nielsen said experience is the main difference between Monache and a team like his.

“We’re young; we’ve got three sophomores and two guys who never played tennis before,” said Nielsen, who replaced Pat McCusker this season. “We don’t have much experience. The bottom line is we didn’t play good enough doubles to win this league.”

The Panthers’ only doubles win came from a tandem of Josh Martinez and Robert Lanning, who also needed three sets to beat Monache’s duo of Rocky Phaphol and Mark Daen.

For that, Nielsen is impressed with his team’s ability to win some of the close ones.

“We had over 30 three-set breakers this year and we won the majority of them,” said Nielsen, whose squad won its first six matches in EYL before going 2-4 the rest of the way. “I was proud of these guys for competing so hard.”

Monache’s No. 1 Goldie Rayani again had his way with Porterville’s top dog, Chai Yang.

The senior Marauder finished off Yang, 6-2, 6-3, to complete a perfect season in singles play, going 12-0.

Rayani will undoubtedly earn the EYL’s No. 1 seed for this weekend’s EYL Tournament, hosted by none other than Porterville.

Rayani also picked up a doubles win with partner Alcantara, 6-3, 7-5, over Yang and Lewis.

Nucum easily handled his first singles set, 6-2, before Nieto gave him a run for his money in the second. But Nucum held on to win, 7-5.

Monache’s No. 5 Ecobiza, who was part of the late-game heroics in Round 1, put in an equally impressive performance in the singles portion, defeating Mitch Walters 7-5, 4-6, 13-11 while fighting off leg cramps he sustained in warmups.

“Matt was struggling a little in his singles match,” Perez said, “but that turned out to be one of the pivotal matches.”

Khalid felt the final win of 2010 was the most satisfying.

“It pays off all our hard work for the whole year,” he said.