Bulldog tennis falls to second seed in CIF semifinals
By Bill Tamburrino
The Ramona High School tennis team finished a successful season with a great run at the CIF playoffs.
The Bulldogs beat Lincoln High School and Mount Carmel High School in the first two rounds before falling to then number two seed, Cathedral Catholic High School, in the semifinal round of the playoffs. The Bulldogs ended the season with a 12-7 record despite playing one of the toughest schedules in school history.
The Dawgs opened their playoff run with an 18-0 victory over Abraham Lincoln Preparatory High School. It was bagel time as Daniel Streeter and Joey Guzzino manned the number one singles slot and Streeter went 6-0 and Guzzino scored 6-0 twice. Scotty Barber went bagels across the board with three sets of 6-0. Adam Mazzola won three team points as he recorded scores of 6-4, 6-2 and 6-1.
In doubles action John Shupe and Tyler McDonald added three bagels to the box score with sets of 6-0. Chad Martin and Nick Peterson added a bagel with scores of 6-0, 6-3 and 6-2. Garrett Wilcox and Jack Mellecker served the final bagel with scores of 6-0 and 7-5. Wilcox and Ricky Flores added a set of 6-1 to finish the day.
In the quarterfinal round of the playoffs the Dawgs beat Mt. Carmel for the third time this season with a score of 12-6.
Streeter had the only total bagel diet as the number one singles player carded three 6-0 sets. Barber had one bagel as he turned in scores of 6-0, 6-2 and 6-4. Christian Failla came off of the injured list to go 6-1 and 6-0. Adam Mazzola went 1-6.
Shupe and McDonald went 2-6, 4-6 and 7-5. Martin and Peterson won two sets with scores of 2-6, 6-3 and 6-4. Wilcox and Mellecker went 1-6 and then Wilcox teamed up with Flores to go 6-2 and 5-7.
The Dawgs ended their dual match season by losing to the number two seed, Cathedral Catholic High School, 11-7. Two of Ramona’s Palomar League rivals battled for the Division I championship with Torrey Pines beating Rancho Bernardo in the championship match.
With the team playoffs over, the Palomar League individual and doubles tournaments will get underway with the winners advancing to the CIF individual and doubles tournaments.