Jim Riggio
BURBANK TENNIS CENTER -- It took every ounce of energy to take the
Foothill League boys' tennis title away from Burbank High.
Valencia High had just enough Tuesday afternoon as it defeated the
Bulldogs for the second time this season, winning, 10-8, at the Burbank
Tennis Center.
The victory gives the Vikings (15-4, 9-0 in league) the league title,
after Burbank had held the Foothill League championship for 14 seasons.
Valencia won the first meeting between the two teams on games, 82-77,
after the teams tied in sets, 9-9.
"We've always been proud of our tennis team. It's been the highlight
of our athletic department," Burbank senior Derek Starleaf saiid.
"Everyone knew about our tennis team's success and that we won every
year."
The match came down to the last set, as Burbank's No. 1 doubles team
of Musheg Rostomian and Antonio Kim faced Valencia's No. 2 team of Nick
Amico and J.J. Patino. With Valencia ahead, 9-8, after 17 sets and the
teams tied in games at 77, the winner of the set would win the match.
The Bulldog duo led, 4-1, and, 5-3, but the Valencia pair fought back
to win, 7-5.
"I wasn't going to tell them" Valencia Coach Annie Kellogg said of the
importance of the set.
Burbank Coach Paul McNiff said as hard as it is, he hopes his team
will regroup for next week's league individual tournament.
"I think we'll have to sleep on it," McNiff said. "Last time the guys
said it haunted them and I think this one will do the same. It wasn't
like we were blown away. Losing to a comparable team makes it tough."
Burbank No. 1 singles player Haig Kassabian swept his sets, 6-4, 6-2,
6-2, and No. 2 Hovsep Gasamanian went 6-1, 6-2, 2-6.
Starleaf, the No. 3 singles player, went 1-6, 4-6, 3-6.
In doubles, Rostomian and Kim won their first, 6-2, and lost their
second set, 6-2.
Burbank's No. 2 doubles team of Ara Baghdasarian and Rick Swanson went
6-7 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 and Chris Lee and James Chang went 2-6, 4-6,
4-6.
Starleaf said the frustrating part of the loss is that he felt his
team was the more talented.
"They (Valencia) were motivated. They wanted blood," he said. "They're
raw, but they beat us and got the job done."
