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Turlock tennis falls in quarterfinals
thstennisRyanAsai
Ryan Asai keeps his eye on the ball in the number four singles match of Turlocks team playoff loss to Jesuit on Monday. - photo by CANDY PADILLA/The Journal

Turlock High tore through the Central California Conference this season and beat the Bulldogs of Folsom High handedly in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Boys Team Tennis Championships, but on Monday it met its match in Jesuit High.

Despite being seeded higher in the bracket and hosting Monday’s quarterfinal match, the Bulldogs were plundered by the Marauders on nearly every court and eliminated from the tournament, 1-8.

“I didn’t know much about them since this is my first year coaching in this league,” Turlock head coach Jack Schneider said of Jesuit. “They were solid all the way through … They’re a tournament team and you can tell. You can always tell the difference between tournament players and high school players.”

Jesuit, who finished third overall in the Delta Valley Conference, took down the CCC champs in every match except the number six singles where Johny Brenda beat Michael Fat 2-6, 6-2 and 6-3. The rest of the singles matches were won by Jesuit in straight sets with the exception of the number three singles match that saw Marco Andres fall to Nathan Duumayer 7-6, 0-6 and 1-6.

“He played a really good first set. He won a tie breaker but I think it was one of those matches where he was almost satisfied with taking a set,” Schneider said. “I’ve gone through it myself, so I understand.”

The loss now puts Turlock in regrouping mode as it prepares for next spring. With only three players being lost to graduation— number five singles player David Lazar and the number one doubles team of Nick Verdeh and Eilen Shabaz— the Bulldogs are looking to again dominate the CCC and improve on this season by breaking into the SJS Division I Boys Team Tennis semifinals.

“We went undefeated in league, we beat a tough Merced team twice and we dominated the rest of the league,” Schneider said of 2015. “It was a very successful season.”