Boys’ Tennis: Sage Hill advances to semifinals

The Sage Hill School boys’ tennis team overcame a two-set deficit and rallied past visiting Walnut, 12-6, in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs Monday.

The No. 4-seeded Lightning (15-5) trailed, 4-2, after the first go-round, with only Adam Langevin and Omead Moini winning sets.

But Sage Hill bounced back in the second go-round, as Kenan Torlic and Moini won in singles. Two changes in the doubles lineup made the difference for Sage Hill, as freshman Calvin Brown and senior Gordon Strelow were inserted and as they did on Friday, they both contributed with two doubles wins to tie the score at 6-6.

The Lightning dominated the third go-round with a 6-0 sweep to secure the victory. Sage Hill moves on to the semifinals, where it will play host to top-seeded Santa Margarita on Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. at The Tennis Club. Santa Margarita defeated West Ranch, 10-8, in a quarterfinal.

“It looks like we can’t afford to keep Gordon and Calvin out of the lineup,” Sage Hill Coach A.G. Longoria said in an email. “They have certainly proved they can handle the pressure. You just might see them in the starting lineup next round.”

— From staff reports