CHS boys' tennis team doesn't rebuild, it reloads

GRIP IT AND RIP IT- Derek Ju of Calabasas connects on a forehand during Tuesday's match vs. Royal. According to head coach Kim Kinberg and assistant coach Cleo Harper, the 2007 season is a transitional one for the Calabasas boys' tennis team.

Still, the Coyotes don't seem to know how to lose.

Since joining the Marmonte League five years ago, Calabasas has won the league title every season. Although Kinberg said the top two teams to beat in the Marmonte League should be Westlake and Agoura, her Coyotes have hung tough by starting out 5-1 in league play.

"We lost two of our best singles players last year in Ahmad Shirav and Matt Chung, so we are a pretty inexperienced team this season," Kinberg said. "We have a lot of good players on the team, but we don't have the dominating singles players that we used to have."

Harper echoed Kinberg's statements.

"At the high school level it is easier to make players into good doubles players than singles players," Harper said. "If a player comes into the high school level without any prior tournament experience, it can sometimes take up to a year before you can teach them to be really dominating."

Photos by ADAM DAVIS/Acorn Newspapers LEFTY LASER- Calabasas' Jake de Golis connects on a forehand during Tuesday's win over Royal at CHS. For the first time in years, the Coyotes aren't considered the front-runners for the league title. Calabasas is hoping that dominating player is sophomore Josh Gartman, who's currently the team's No. 1 single player after spending most of last season in the No. 3 position.

Gartman said he's comfortable handling the No. 1 spot and thinks his Coyote team is still good enough to win the Marmonte.

"We lost some of our best singles players from last year, but we have enough talent on this team to win it all still," Gartman said. "We want to win league, but our main goal is to just make sure that we keep our school as a known powerhouse in terms of boys' tennis."

Other players that are making a difference this season playing singles are junior Matt Mueller and sophomore Jake de Golis. Kinberg said de Golis helps the team because he is a natural lefty with a lot of power.

Freshman William Sokurski plays singles and doubles for CHS and was described by Kinberg as an extremely consistent player that shows good ball control. Another freshman that has impressed Kinberg early on is Phillip Klemenov.

Senior Derek Ju has seen his role increase after not getting much playing time his previous three years. Ju also played football for CHS.

On the doubles side are two returnees, Jeff Rebhun and Darin Rosen. Co-captains Devin Banerjee and Pratik Mehta will look to make an impact, although Banerjee is currently sidelined with a tendonitis injury that should keep him out of action at least another week.

Banerjee said his game has improved dramatically since Kinberg and Harper took over the coaching duties during his sophomore season.

"Both of them have done a real good job of keeping the discipline here, which is why our old coach left," Banerjee said. "They earned our respect right away, and we have tried our best to play great for them.

"Mr. Harper especially has helped me get better with my doubles play by having me practice a lot at the net. Now when I am playing doubles, my main goal is to rush the net."

Mehta said even though the team is young, they are skilled.

"We definitely have all the tools it takes to win, but we just have to learn how to do it," Mehta said. "For some of these players it's the first time they have ever played on the varsity level and playing three straight sets against competition this good. So it takes a little time."

According to Kinberg, expectations are always high at Calabasas.

"There is a lot of pressure on the team to win, but that comes from the players themselves- not me," Kinberg said. "I try to teach them the best I can in practice, but I don't talk about the league titles.

"There is kind of a legacy here in Calabasas with the past success the team has had, and many teachers and people in the community expect them to keep winning. So yeah, the boys do feel the pressure to win. After we lost to Agoura a lot of the seniors felt really bad, because losing is not something they are used to."

Whether or not the Coyotes win the league title for a fifth straight season remains to be seen, but according to Kinberg, the team should be even better next year.

"We have a very good junior varsity team, and you add those players to the ones on the varsity team now gaining a year experience and that makes for a potentially great team again next year," Kinberg said. "Having a lot of depth will definitely help."

Until then, CHS looks to continue its title quest when they play today at Moorpark High. Matches will begin at 3 p.m.