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Bulldog tennis team starts season with four wins

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By Bill Tamburrino

Ramona High School’s varsity tennis team beat Mt. Miguel, Serra, and Brawley High Schools as they prepare for their last season in the Palomar League with a tough pre-league schedule.

The Dawgs are 4-0 after two weeks of play.

Mt. Miguel proved to be no match for the Bulldogs as Ramona beat the Matadors 17-1 at Riviera Oaks Racquet Club and Resort.

Daniel Streeter manned the number one singles spot and won three sets with scores of 6-0, 6-0, and 6-4. Christian Failla also won team points with scores of 6-3, 6-0, and came through in the clutch with a 7-5 set.

Scotty Barber went 6-4 and 4-6, and Joey Guzzino played one set and carded a 6-2 victory.

Ramona won all 9 doubles points using four doubles teams. The Bagel Boys, John Shupe and Tyler McDonald, continued to serve up bagels as they went 6-0 across the board. Chad Martin and Nick Peterson served up two bagels with scores of 6-2, 6-0, and 6-0. Jack Melleker and Garrett Wilcox went 6-0 and 6-1. Ricky Flores and Adam Mazzola played one set and recorded a 6-0 score for a team point.

The Dawgs remained undefeated by beating Serra High School 12-6. Shupe and McDonald also remained undefeated in doubles action as the senior co-captains carded scores of 6-1, 6-1, and cooked another bagel with a 6-0.

Martin and Peterson won 2 team points by posting scores of 6-1, 6-7, and 6-4. Wilcox and Melleker went 5-7 and 6-1. Wilcox teamed up with Flores to win a point with a 6-4 score.

Streeter won two sets by going 4-6, 6-2 and 6-0. Failla also won 2 team points with scores of 4-6, 6-3, and 6-0. Barber went 0-6, 4-6, and 6-0.

The Dawgs finished the week by beating Brawley 17-1. Failla led off in the number one singles spot and contributed to the bagel brigade by going 6-0. He is the son of Coach Doug Failla, who started Christian on the courts when he was 3 years old. However, growing up in Puerto Rico, Christian played more football and soccer than tennis. He moved to Ramona his freshman year, and at first it was quite an adjustment.

“The transition of moving to California was a little difficult,” he said. “I only lived about 200 yards from the ocean in Puerto Rico; but all in all it has been a nice change to get a chance to live in Ramona.”

Christian has a 4.17 grade point average and plans to major in sports medicine in college. He would also like to play tennis in college.

Most of the players on the tennis team can beat their fathers in a tennis match; not Christian, not yet. “We just about play every day. It is tough playing him but awesome playing for him. He is teaching me to play tennis the way he was taught. He is always encouraging me to do my best and shows me how to do so.”

Joey Guzzino took over for Christian and went 6-2 and 4-6. Barber won 3 team points with scores of 6-1, 6-0, and 6-3. Adam Mazzola won three sets with scores of 6-0, 6-2, and battled to win a tough 7-5 set.

The doubles teams baked five bagels. Shupe and McDonald went 6-1, 6-0, and 6-0. Martin and Peterson also went 6-1, 6-0, and 6-0. Wilcox and Melleker carded scores of 6-4, 6-0, and 6-1.

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