Harbor outlasts Sage

NEWPORT BEACH — Newport Harbor High senior John Hutchinson’s game was pure butter Tuesday afternoon at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club.

It was pretty appropriate, considering the way he “bageled” Sage Hill.

Hutchinson won all three of his singles matches by 6-0 scores, helping the Sailors outlast the Lightning, 11-7, in the nonleague match.

“I just put all my focus into the matches and had lots of energy,” Hutchinson said. “I was ready to win. I was feeling the energy from my team.”

Newport Harbor (1-1) had plenty of energy, as it was the Sailors’ first match in a week. They lost to Mater Dei, 17-1, in their season opener on Feb. 26.

But first-year coach Kristen Case said the lopsided loss to the Monarchs wasn’t all bad.

“We were feeling it out that first match,” she said. “I actually liked that we had that match first, because I got to see a lot of things about our combinations and the way we work together. We had a really good week of training, and the boys were pumped. This was a good match to get our goals started. We’re ready.”

The Sailors jumped out to a 4-2 lead over the Lightning (1-3) after the first go-round. Sage Hill tried to rally, and pulled within 6-5, as the second go-round came to a close.

The doubles match between Newport Harbor’s Cameron Chase and Erik Heimstaedt, and Sage Hill’s David Fayngor and Andrew Kurzwell, went to a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Chase, a junior, and Heimstaedt, a sophomore, came back from a 4-0 deficit to win, giving the Sailors a 7-5 lead.

“We picked it up, but they’re just too deep for us,” Sage Hill Coach A.G. Longoria said. “You have to give credit to [Newport Harbor]. They’re strong, and they withstood the challenge after we came back and almost turned the tide on them.”

Newport Harbor would clinch the match when junior Josh Tuz won his third set of the day at No. 1 singles. Minutes later, the No. 1 doubles team of seniors Taylor Friend and McKenna Duley won their second match of the day, in another tiebreaker over Fayngor and Kurzwell.

Friend, Duley and Hutchinson, the three seniors who have been on varsity since their freshman year, said they see this year as the Sailors’ year.

“This is our last year to pull through,” Duley said.

After a fundraising drive led by tennis boosters president Cody Small, Newport Harbor has also resurfaced its tennis courts, also adding more seating areas. The revamped facility, known as the Newport Harbor Tennis Center, is scheduled to open for competition today.

The Sailors have their first home match with the new courts Tuesday against Tesoro.

“[The new courts] will definitely be a boost of energy to our year,” Friend said. “Hopefully it’ll be what we need to pull it together and win a CIF championship.”

Sage Hill, meanwhile, has now played four straight CIF Southern Section Division I opponents to open its season. A fifth match against a Division I school comes today, against Woodbridge.

“Overall, I’m pleased with how we played, and I know we learned a lot,” Longoria said. “Every time we play one of these we learn a lot.”

The Lightning will then prepare to host their fifth annual Lightning Invitational Friday and Saturday. Defending Division IV champion Viewpoint is included in the four-team field.

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Nonleague

Newport Harbor 11, Sage Hill 7

Singles – Tuz (NH) def. Wang, 6-3, def. Sethi, 6-3, def. Astorino, 6-1; Hutchinson (NH) won, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0; Gracia (NH) lost, 0-6, 2-6, (sub) Lee (NH) lost, 1-6.

Doubles – Friend-Duley (NH) def. Koeberle-Yun, 6-2, lost to Gerdau-Marshack, 3-6, def. Fayngor-Kurzwell, 7-6 (7-2); Chase-Heimsteadt (NH) lost, 4-6, won, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7); McKennon-Cernius (NH) lost, 4-6, 5-7, (sub) McKennon-Arnold (NH) won, 6-0.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].