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For many of you who visit this wonderful tennis site, I thought
it may be of interest to you and to others, how the Aztec Tennis Team evolved.
Few teams, of any sport, have been able to match the feat that Bruce Smith,
and later, myself, David Smith, were able to accomplish with a lot of help
from some fantastic tennis players!
It all began in 1968
when Bruce Smith took over the tennis team after a brief, but successful,
coaching stint at Bolsa Grande
High School. What many
don't know is that Smith was also a phenomenal football coach, nearly matching
his tennis success on the grassy sidelines. His final 8 years as the freshman
football team's coach produced a record of 88 wins and 2 losses. His football
teams averaged over 45 points a game while giving up less than 15. Yet, his
greater fame came from coaching tennis. Leaving an undefeated team at
Bolsa to take on a team which had NEVER won a single tennis match--or a
league championship in any other varsity sport--was a difficult decision. By
choosing to take on the new challenge he would change the face of La
Quinta High
School forever, and the lives of the players to
whom he taught so much.
Select a
year
1969: The team finished 4th.
But with young players like Tom Spessard and Steve
Epperson, whom were showing great promise, things would change. These players
from this team would become the foundation for what would become the longest
winning streak in Garden Grove League Tennis, a streak that would last eleven
amazing years.
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to Top
1970: The first decade of Aztec Domination begins.
All three levels, the Varsity, J.V., and Frosh/Soph
Teams all went 12-0 in League. This year was not only the first League
Championship for the tennis team at La Quinta, it
was the first League Championship for ANY sport ever at La Quinta. Streak: 36-0.
1971:: All three teams went undefeated again with
the Varsity going 20-1 for the entire season while its only loss came in the
semi-finals of CIF. On May 18th, 1971 the varsity won its first
ever CIF match over the Suburban League Champions, Neff HS. This win was also
the first ever CIF team-win for any sport at La Quinta.
Steve Epperson won La Quinta's first league singles title, while sophomore Tom Spessard led the team in doubles with an undefeated
league record. Spessard had a kick serve that
bounced the opposite of what his opponent would expect, and often would hit
his opponent in the face. Streak: 72-0
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1972: The Team reaches semi-finals of CIF again,
only to lose a tight match to Thousand
Oaks: 15 to 12. Back then, there were four singles
players on a team and two doubles teams. The singles would play round robin
for four possible points each and the doubles would play two sets against the
two opposing teams, each doubles set was worth a point and a half. Spessard won his first Garden Grove League singles title
and while going undefeated. Streak: 108-0.
1973: The first, but certainly not last, time La Quinta reached a CIF final. Unfortunately, they lost to
Harvard HS 19-9. Earlier in the season, Los Amigos, knowing they could not beat
La Quinta on the Varsity level, dropped every
member to Junior Varsity to try and win the match. The match ended up a 14-14 tie which became the only mar in the team league record. John Redman wins
the Singles title, Andy Thompson and John Wallin become
the first ever League Doubles Champions. Streak: 144-0-1
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1974: A rebuilding year, the team lost in the first
round of CIF to University HS 20 to 7. At only 87 pounds, junior Roger Hillie captured the League Singles Title and went
undefeated for the year. Even though it was a rebuilding year, La Quinta had a record of six out of eight ALL LEAGUE
members from its school. Junior Mike Chwalek was
runner-up to Hillie in the League Finals. As legend
has it, Roger hated to lose, but hated it even more if you didn't try your
best to beat him. So after he beat Chwalek, he came
up to shake hands with Mike and instead suddenly slugged him in the stomach!
While Mike was much bigger than the five-foot-tall Hillie,
Roger then stood and yelled at him, claiming he hadn't tried hard enough. Streak: 179-0-1
1975: Lost in the semi-finals of CIF to University
18-10. Hillie would win another singles title; Pete
Aquino and Craig Skelly
were the Doubles Champions. Once again six players would make ALL LEAGUE for
Aztecs. (The exceptions were Ted Frank and Coach Smith's son, Dave who played
doubles for Garden Grove HS.) Streak: 247-0-1
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1976: Lost to
Laguna
Beach in the quarterfinals of CIF 21-7. Pete Aquino defeated Dave Smith in the singles final, 6-3,
6-3, while Craig Skelly and Jeff Doyle won the
doubles title. Streak: 247-0-1
1977: Reaching the CIF finals for the second time
in four years, La Quinta loses to a very strong San Marino
team, 20-8. Though only a sophomore, Chris Jochum
took the league singles title and went 48-0 on the season. Hal Haig and Terry Wong won the league doubles title.
Freshmen Steve Schultz won the 14 and under doubles championship at the
prestigious OJAI Tennis Tournament. Streak: 279-0-1
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1978: For the second year in a row, the team reached
the finals of CIF, but guess who was there again, San Marino, a close match, but a 11-17 loss for the Aztecs. Sophomore Steve Schultz and
freshmen Paul Robinson (both ranked in the top 10 in Southern
California) reached the finals of the OJAI tournament in the 16
and under division. Junior Chris Jochum (also
ranked in the top 10) set an Aztec record of 97 consecutive sets won in one
season! The varsity won a record seven 28-0 matches in League, while the J.V.
posed five 28-0 wins, and the Frosh/Soph had seven
shut outs of their own. Junior Chris Jochum easily
won his second League singles title while sophomore Steve Schultz and partner
Terry Wong capture the doubles title. Streak: 311-0-1
1979: Rick Lindgren, long time assistant coach with
Coach Smith, moves to Colorado.
Young Dave Smith joined his dad to coach the team. The team was strong and
seasoned with five seniors, two juniors, and one sophomore this group had
just the right mix of experience and youth to win it all. The Aztecs once
again reached the finals of CIF. For the third year in a row they faced
nemesis San Marino HS, but this time the final score was a 20-8 victory for
La Quinta! They had won not only the first CIF
title of any sport at La Quinta HS, but it was also
the first ever CIF title for a boys sports team in the entire Garden Grove
School District! Numerous 28-0 records were set: 8 for Varsity, 7 for J.V.,
and 9 for F/S. Senior Jochum defeats teammate Paul
Robinson (10th grade) for his third consecutive League singles
title. Senior Russ Brose and junior Steve Schultz won the doubles title by
the score of 6-0, 6-0, and went on to make it to the semi-final round of CIF
Individuals! Coach Smith and his entire team were asked to appear before the
Board of Education in recognition of this year's outstanding accomplishment. Streak: 347-0-1
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1980: Ten years of going undefeated in league on
all three levels. In a nail-biting 13-14 loss, the Aztecs lose to
Walnut in the quarterfinals of CIF. Senior Steve Schultz completed an
impressive four year varsity record of 327 sets won, four years ALL LEAGUE
(first ever), three years team captain, and also went undefeated in league
for his final three years. Ironically, La Quinta
did not have a singles or doubles League champion, which was the first time
in 10 years. Streak: 383-0-1
1981: THE STREAK IS BROKEN! On the last league
match, La Quinta lost 16 to 11 to Mater Dei HS.
The Aztecs had to settle for co-champions League with them. Former Aztec
Roger Hillie, died in a car crash and a memorial
award was established in his name to the senior with the highest GPA on the
team. Sophomores Mark Robbins and Jeff Brose won the League doubles title. Team Record: 419-1-1
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1982: Varsity went 23-1 for the season. The
Aztecs lose to Laguna Beach HS in the semi-finals of CIF by the score of
21-7. The match featured the #1 ranked junior player
in the United States,
Ricky Leach. In an incredible match against Jeff Brose and Mark Robbins,
Leach and his partner won 7-6, 7-5 in front of over 400 spectators surrounding
court at La Quinta. It was the highest number of
spectators ever to witness a non-final tennis match at LQ. Brose and Robbins
later reached the semi-finals of CIF individuals. Team Record: 430-1-1
1983: After having beaten Walnut 22-6 in the first
round of CIF, the Aztecs lost in the second round to Los Alamitos
HS 12 - 16. In an interesting league match, the Aztecs played against Garden Grove
High School which was now coached by
former Argonaut Dave Smith. It was father against son. The Varsity lost one
league match with Mater Dei becoming co-league champs. This was only the
second loss of any La Quinta Tennis team in the
last 13 years! Jeff Brose graduated with four years on Varsity and the
following achievements: 98% winning record, three years ALL LEAGUE, two years
Doubles League Champion, and individual CIF semi-finalist. Team Record: 462-2-1
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1984: Coach Bruce Smith's Final Year: The Aztecs reached
the quarterfinals, before they lost to La Canada HS 13-15. Donny Coffin
defeated teammate Tran Hong for the League singles title. Mike McCall and Shon Smith won the doubles title. Team Record: 494-2-1
Coach Bruce Smith was awarded "Coach of the Year" for California, and runner
up for "National Coach of the Year" for tennis in 1984.
On June 29th, 1984, Coach Bruce Smith died of a heart
attack at the age of 55.
1985: Dave Smith left his coaching position at
Garden Grove HS (after being awarded Coach of the Year there) and takes over
the position at La Quinta. The team lost in the
second round of CIF to Mission Viejo 17-11.
The team lost one League match to Los Amigos (who
had two top-ranked juniors on their team) and are co-league champions. Mark
Robbins died the day before his 21st birthday in a car accident
and a memorial award was set up in his memory to be given to the team captain
each year. The Bruce Smith Memorial award was also established this year to
honor the player who most exemplified the type of hard working person Coach
Smith was. John Hayashida is the first winner of
this award. Team Record: 525-3-1
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1986: The Aztecs lost to Los Amigos in two tight matches,
9-9 and 8-10. This was the first year of a new scoring system. There were
three singles players instead of four, and three doubles teams instead of
two. So each match was worth one point for a total of 18 points. Team Record: 553-5-1
1987: The team lost in the first round of CIF.
Alumnus Tran Hong came back to coach with Dave Smith. In an amazing comeback,
Thoai Hong (Tran's younger brother) and Scott Jeong, in the finals of the League doubles championships,
were down one set and 0-5 in the second set against Los Amigos--the team that
defeated La Quinta twice again this season--when
one of the greatest comebacks in Aztec history occurred. They kept fighting
and came back to win by the score of: 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Team Record: 583-7-1
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1988: The Aztecs lost to La Canada HS in the first
round of CIF. They again lost an 8-10, and later, a 9-9 match to rival Los
Amigos HS. They finished second in league for the third time in a row. Coach
Dave Smith made an announcement: No League team will ever beat a La Quinta Tennis team as long as I am coaching. And until
he moved to Arizona
in 1991, no team does. Team Record: 603-9-1
1989: The Aztecs were back on top as undefeated
League Champs! No team got more than 4 points off the Aztecs in League. The
Aztecs easily defeated recent rival Los Amigos 17-1. Cong Tran, a freshman,
won the League singles title while Peter Vu and Phu
Truong took home the doubles. Playing a very rich and arrogant Palm Desert
team in the second round of CIF, the Aztecs (now mostly all Asian), wiped out
their opponents 14-4, before losing in the third round to Laguna Beach HS
7-11. Peter Vu and Phu Truong went undefeated in
League with a record of 42-0. The two reached the quarterfinals of CIF
individuals. Frankie Tran won the Bruce Smith Award. 8 of 9 ALL LEAGUE
players are from La Quinta. Team Record: 635-9-1. New Streak: 32-0
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1990: Back-to-back undefeated League Champs! Peter
Vu won the League singles title; Dung Doan and Hung Du
were runners-up in doubles. The varsity took second place in the 8th
annual Canyon Team Challenge by defeating Servite,
Villa Park and Diamond Bar before losing to El Toro.
Five players go 35-1 in league lead by captains Jeff Hosilyk
and Peter Vu. Team Record: 667-9-1 New Streak: 64-0.
1991: Undefeated League Champions again! The
Varsity went 21-2 overall, J.V. 18-0, F/S 16-2. All three teams went
undefeated in League for the third consecutive year. This was Coach Dave
Smith's final year as he and his family would move to
Arizona the following summer. The team
reached semi-finals of CIF where they met the top seeded team in division II,
Sunny Hills HS. The match went down to a 9-9 tie with 11 of the 18 matches
going 7-6 or 6-4. The total games were added up and the teams were tied at 90
games each, sending the historic match into the first ever tie-breaking
round. All players had to play all their same opponents again, but only
playing tie-breakers. Unfortunately, Sunny Hills came out on top, 7-11 in
tie-breakers. Sunny Hills went on to easily win the finals by the score of
12-6 over our old CIF rival San Marino HS. For the first time ever, every ALL
LEAGUE team member (8 total) was a La Quinta Aztec. In Singles, Bach Nguyen defeated Phillip
Lim, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. In doubles, Hien Ngo and Dung
Doan defeated Hung Du and Peter Lam 6-0, 4-6, 6-4.
Was this the best team since the 1979 squad? Only time will tell. Team Record: 699-9-1 New Streak: 96-0.
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1992: Former Aztec, Peter Vu, took over as the
coach for team after Coach Smith's departure. His old doubles partner, Phu Truong assisted him. Even with this change, the
program continued on in its winning ways. Varsity went undefeated in League
for the 4th straight year, and 19-3 overall before losing in the
second round of CIF to Redlands HS 6-12. The J.V. lost only one league match
to Garden Grove HS (now coached by former Aztec Kevin Starnes), while the F/S
went undefeated. Hien Wu (after changing his last
name from Ngo) and Peter Lam defeated teammates Robert Do and Troy
Christman 6-1, 6-1. Freshmen Johnny Nguyen would lose in the League singles
final to a player from Bolsa Grande. Team Record: 731-10-1
1993: The program has to adjust to yet another
coaching change. This time it is former Aztec badminton player Arnold Trung. The team still had a strong core of players left
over from Coach Smith's days and went undefeated in the first round of
league. The latest rival is Garden Grove HS. In the next to last match of the
year, the Aztecs fell to Grove by the score of 7-11, thus becoming co-League
champions. The varsity finished 11-1 in League while the JV went undefeated.
The Frosh/Soph team was disbanded due to lack of
opponents. In League finals it was all La Quinta
with Hien Wu and Robert Do beating Aztec teammates
in the double final. In singles, senior Bach Nguyen defeated Steve Ho of
Garden Grove HS by the score of 6-2, 6-1. In CIF, the Aztecs lost in the
first round. Team Record: 754-11-1
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1994: The Aztecs lost two league matches, both to
Garden Grove HS, and finished in second place for the first time in five
years. Aztec alumnus Hien Wu comes back to help
coach the team. The team had only one returning senior, but still almost
managed to pull off a big upset at Garden Grove HS. The match came down to
the final set of the day, as the #2 Aztec singles fell by the score of 4-6,
thus losing 101/3 to 112/3 (In the new CIF scoring system, doubles were worth
11/3 points per set while singles remained 1 point for a total of 21 points
possible). In the second match they fell to Grove 5-16. The team won its
first round CIF match before falling in the second round. The varsity went
8-2 in League (Rancho Alamitos HS dropped its
tennis program) while the JV went 9-1. In League finals the Aztec doubles
team of Loi Du and Joey
Nguyen lost in the finals to Nima Vazin and Jimmy Nguyen of Garden Grove HS by the score of
0-6, 1-6. Team Record: 771-14-1
1995: Another new coach. Aztec alumnus Loi Du took over the helm. The
Aztecs lost only two players from the 94 squad so expectations were high.
Yet once again the Aztecs had to settle for second place finish in League.
The closest League match they, had outside of Garden Grove HS, was a 14-4
pasting of Pacifica HS. In League finals Hiep Bui
defeated Andro Ignacio of Garden Grove HS in an
amazing 3 set match. In doubles, no team advanced beyond the semi-finals. The
varsity finished 8-2 for the second year in a row while the JV had an
identical 8-2 record. Team Record: 787-18-1
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1996: The Varsity had high expectations entering
League. Their goal was nothing short of knocking off rival Garden Grove HS
from its four year reign as League Champions. Unfortunately the team lost by
scores of 2-16 in the first round and 0-18 in the second to Grove. So they
had to settle for another second place finish. The Aztecs did destroy every
other opponent in League with their closest match being a 15-3 drubbing of
Pacifica HS. In the League individual tournament, no Aztec made it to the
finals, but the doubles teams did show improvement by season's end. The team
lost in the first round of CIF. The Varsity finished with a 10-2 record while
the JV finished with an 8-4 record. Team Record: 805-24-1
1997: After losing 7 of 9 varsity players to
graduation the Aztecs had to settle for a third place finish in League behind
rival Garden Grove HS, and Pacifica HS. This was the first time an Aztec team
had not finished in the top two of League since 1968! The team was in a
rebuilding year, but young talent was developing. Freshmen Robert Chu went undefeated in League by going 36-0. He then went
on to win the League singles title over defending champion Andro Ignacio of Garden Grove in a memorable match by the
score of 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (11-9). Chu
became the first freshmen to win a League singles title in Aztec history! No
other Aztec got past the quarterfinals of the League individual tournament.
The team lost in the preliminary round of CIF. The varsity finished 8-4 while
the JV finished 6-6 (Rancho Alamitos came back in
to the League).
Team Record: 819-34-1
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1998: The Aztecs moved back up to second place,
while this young team showed great promise. They were the closest to
defeating rival Garden Grove HS as any Aztec team had since 1994. The team
took a second place finish in League and lost in the first round of CIF.
Sophomore Robert Chu continued to dominate League
with another undefeated season (36-0). In the League individual tournament, Chu won his second straight
championship by beating Tuan Nguyen of Garden Grove HS 6-2, 6-1. In the doubles
bracket, no Aztec team got past the semi-finals. The varsity finished league
with a 10-2 record while the JV finished with the same 10-2 record. The
Aztecs lost in the first round of CIF. Team Record: 849-38-1
1999: Yet another new coach! Ha Pham, a faculty
member, took over for Loi Du.
And with the help of tennis pro Chris Ganz, the
Aztecs captured their first League Championship since 1993! It was fitting
that La Quinta Tennis finishes out the millennium
on top as no team in League history could match their accomplishments over
the past 30 years. The team went undefeated in League by defeating rival
Garden Grove HS 10-8 and 12-6. Junior Robert Chu
went undefeated (again) in League, but is not able to compete in the League
individual tournament or CIF at season's end. The doubles team of Quan Chau and Matthew Tong won
League. The Aztecs went all the way to the quarterfinals of CIF before losing
a close match to a south county team. The Varsity finishes League at 12-0
while the JV goes 11-1.
Team Record: 872-39-1
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2000: Once again a coaching change makes for more
adjustments. This time the coach is another faculty member, Brian Alcaraz. This year's team was led by captain Vu Ho and
co-captain Mike Truong. With only two returning players, the team was young
and inexperienced. The Varsity went 7-5 in League while the JV went 10-2. Team Record: 889-46-1
2001: A last place finish
in League! The Aztecs had not finished this low since 1967. The Varsity was
0-12 in League while the JV won only one match. New coach Linh
Luu led a team with no returning varsity players.
The Aztec program had fallen upon hard times and the future was looking
rather bleak. Team Record: 890-69-1
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2002: New Coach Simon Nguyen
led an inexperienced Varsity team to a 2-10 record in League. The JV team,
however, experienced great success. JV ended the season with a 10-2 record to
secure second place. Team Record: 902-81-1
2003: Another coaching change occurred this year
with faculty member, Paul Neeld. The Varsity team
improved their record to 4-8 in League. The JV team also finished 4-8 in
League. Team Record: 910-97-1
2004: Finally a bright spot
for the future. Former Aztec, and
Garden Grove Argonaut, Bryan Tran begins coaching the team. In League Finals, Freshmen Hiep
Troung lost to Clifford Yook
and finished the season with a league record of 35-3. Hiep
Truong was voted League MVP! The team finished 4th in League. At
last, the Aztecs received an at-large bid for CIF but fell to the #1 seed Redlands
East Valley,
the eventual CIF champion. The Varsity went 7-5 while JV went 6-6 in League. Team Record: 923-108-1
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2005: An alumni match was
held in May which had over 20 alumni show up to play some tennis. Dave Smith
made the long trek from Utah.
His mother Donna Smith also came to support us. Team members from the 1970s,
1980s, 1990s, and 2000s showed up to support the renaissance which was
occurring at La Quinta Tennis. In League Finals,
sophomore Michael Luu upset teammate Hiep Truong in a grueling three set semi-final match. Luu's streak came to an end when he lost to defending
champion Clifford Yook in the finals. The Aztecs
finished 3rd in League and made a legitimate appearance in CIF.
The team, however, fell in the first round to
Cypress 11-7. The Varsity went 7-5 in
League. The JV team ended a successful season with a record of 8-2. Team Record: 938-115-1
2006: The Aztecs lost six
players due to graduation and personal reasons. The start of the season
looked grim. But to compensate for the loss, freshmen Albert Nguyen,
sophomore Kai Brose, sophomore Nick Nguyen, sophomore Dang Tran, junior Chris
Lam, and junior Sam Kwon filled the void. Team Aztecs finished the season
with a League record of 8-4 and overall record of 14-8. Garden Grove HS
secured first place in League with a 12-0 record. The Aztecs were in a three
way tie for second in League along with
Pacifica
and Bolsa Grande. Ranked 10th in CIF
Div. III, the Aztecs defeated Golden League Champion Quartz Hill in the first
round 11-7 with the help of #2 doubles team's, senior Tony Do and Kai Brose,
sweep. In the second round, they avenged their loss in the pre-season and
last year's CIF by defeating #4 seed and Empire League Champion Cypress 10-8.
The Aztecs great run came to an end in their quarterfinal lost to Long Beach
Wilson. The JV team finished the season with a 7-5 record. This was a huge
accomplishment because eight of the nine starting JV lineup were from the
freshmen class. Team Aztecs surpassed all goals and expectations in 2006.
Congratulations Aztecs! Team Record: 953-124-1
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2007: The Aztecs started the season strong and ended stronger. They were expected to dominate, and they
did not disappoint anyone. In League, La Quinta were Co-Champions with Bolsa
Grande. Ranked 10th in CIF Div. III, the Aztecs annihilated JW North in the
first round of CIF Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Aztecs fell to 7th seed
Placentia Valencia
(6-12) in the 2nd round. In League
Finals, it was an all LQ final in the singles bracket! The title came down
between seniors Hiep Troung
and Michael Luu. It was a hard fought battle and
congratulations to Hiep Troung
on becoming the 2007 Garden Grove League Champ in singles. Senior Chris Lam
and junior Kai Brose captured second place in League Finals. In CIF
Individuals, Chris and Kai battled their way to the 2nd round of playoffs,
while Michael and Hiep fell in the 1st round. The
JV team enjoyed much success as well. JV were also
Co-Champions with Bolsa Grande in League. Sophomore
Jason Troung captured the Garden Grove League JV
Singles title and senior Anh Nguyen and junior Minh Nguyen captured the JV Doubles title! It has been an absolutely amazing and
successful season. Varsity finished the season with a league record of 9-1
and overall record of 17-3. JV recorded a 9-1 finish in league and an overall
record of 14-4. The seniors will sincerely miss being a part of such a
prestigious team.
By Michael Luu. Team Record: 971- 126- 1
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2008: After falling one victory short the previous year, the Aztecs had a single goal in mind, an undefeated league championship title. The Aztecs trained hard in the off-season and battled their way through the pre-season in preparation against last year's co-champions, Bolsa Grande. But the first encounter with the Matadors was hardly competitive, as the Aztecs completely destroyed the competition by a score of 15-3 in front of the largest home crowd support any of the Aztecs could ever remember. However, the second encounter on the Matador's home court was much closer and much more dramatic. With the scores at 3-3 after the first round and 6-6 after the second round, the Aztecs were forced to find their best tennis in the third round. And they did just that, dominating the final round by winning 5 of the 6 sets (highlighted by J.L. Le's 6-1 victory over Bolsa Grande's #1 player, Preston Nguyen). With an 11-7 victory, an ecstatic Varsity drenched Coach Tran in ice-cold water as they claimed their Undefeated League Championship title.
The Aztecs not only dominated League as a team, but also as individuals. The Doubles Championships was an All-Aztec affair, as #1 doubles Nick Nguyen and Kai Brose were upset by #2 doubles Dang Tran and Kevin Luu in a three-set battle. But the real drama was found in the Singles Championships, where #1 singles Albert Nguyen defeated Garden Grove's #1 singles Richard Le in an epic three-set match in which both players suffered from cramps and exhaustion. In CIF, the Aztecs were considered heavy underdogs in their first round match against the 4th ranked team in Division III, Campbell Hall. But the Aztecs earned much respect as they fought to a 9-9 decision, where they lost by a margin of 7 games. While the Varsity experienced much success, the JV would not be outdone. In his first year as the JV coach, Coach Marchelle Garcia (Coach "G") shaped a JV team that dominated League byalso going undefeated. By ending the season with a League record of 20-0, the Varsity and JV became the first team to have both levels go undefeated in 17 years! The team of 2008 has truly earned its spot in Aztec tennis history, bringing back a legacy of dominance that will surely carry on for years to come.
By Nick Nguyen, Team Captain Team Record: 991- 126- 1
2009: After an undefeated season the previous year, the Aztecs have reached a great milestone in LQ history. They had a golden opportunity to record their 1000th win this season! The ambitious Aztecs worked hard and diligently during their off-season in preparation for game time. Unfortunately, the pre-season was a bit of a struggle as the new incoming varsity players were getting familiar with one another. Nonetheless, the Aztecs surpassed their challenges as a new team and dominated the Garden Grove League without any competition. For the Aztecs, this title is their third in a row and the one of many to come. In addition, the Aztecs also won the first annual Hank Lloyd's Boys' High School Team Tennis Tournament. Their accomplishments did not stop there as they carried their momentum into League Individuals. In the singles bracket, Albert Nguyen displayed his agile tennis skills as he easily claimed his second league title, defeating Rancho's number one player ( 6-1, 6-0 ). However, the Doubles League Individual was an All-Aztec affair as La Quinta's number one doubles team, Richard Nguyen and Kevin Luu, displayed quality teamwork and ultimately defeated their teammates, Brian Tran and Viet Hoang. During first round of CIF, the Aztecs had it easy as they annihilated Hesperia on home court. However, the second round of CIF provided a more difficult encounter as the Aztecs had to compete against the 2nd ranked team in Division III, Claremont. The Aztecs battled it out with Claremont, but, unfortunately, they were unsuccessful in the end as they lost 5-13 to the eventual CIF Champions. Much credit should be given to the JV tennis team for their spectacular achievements during the year. Admirably, the JV tennis team went undefeated during both pre-season and season. For the second year in a row, both Varsity and Junior Varsity proved to live up to the mighty Aztec name through vigor and victory as undefeated champions. The Aztecs have definitely surpassed expectations this year while setting the bar high as they proceed in living up to the reputation that will be passed down for years to follow.
By Albert Nguyen, Team Captain. Team Record 1009-126-1.
2010: With eight out of twelve varsity players gone, the Aztecs’ goal of achieving another successful season looked doubtful. Preseason was a difficult time for both varsity and JV, as many newcomers were only beginning to find their game. But thanks to varsity coach, Bryan Tran, and JV coach, Marchelle Garcia , the team was able to improve steadily. With adamant determination and teamwork, the Aztecs, led by their valiant varsity captain, Jason Truong, easily crushed their competition and came out on top in the Garden Grove League for the fourth consecutive time. Both varsity and JV went undefeated (20-0) for the third consecutive year! League Finals was a fierce competition for both singles and doubles. #2 Seed Tin Chu placed second in singles, and it was an LQ battle between #2 doubles Jason Truong/Andrew Vu and the eventual champions, #1 doubles Duy Hoang/Kevin Luu. After celebrating their season victory, the varsity team quickly settled down and got ready for CIF. Coming in as the underdogs (as always) in the first round of CIF, the Aztecs held their ground at home against the #10 seed, Malibu, for a 10-8 victory. After reaching their goal of reaching the second round of CIF, the Aztecs left nothing behind as they played the #9 seed, Redlands. The match was as close as it can get, with the Aztecs winning by two games, 9-9 (78-76)! Although the Aztecs lost in the third round to the eventual CIF champions, Claremont, the team was left standing with their heads held high. It was by far an absolutely amazing season. The Aztecs have definitely raised the expectations for the years to come.
By Jason Truong, Team Captain. Team Record 1029-126-1. Team League Streak: 58-0.
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