Viewpoint returns to finals
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers KING OF SWING- Viewpoint senior Troy List hits a return during practice at Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center. List, the team's No. 1 singles player, has helped lead the Patriots to the CIF-SS final.

Although Viewpoint School's campus is located off Mulholland Highway, the boys' tennis team has found a second home- the CIFSouthern Section championships.

By defeating Santa Ynez, 135, on the road Tuesday, the Patriots will head to the Claremont Club on May 30 for a chance to win their fourth straight CIF-SS title. Viewpoint's opponent will be Cerritos, the No. 1 seed out of the Suburban League.

Viewpoint got a lot of help from its singles players against Santa Ynez, as they won eight of nine matches.

The team's top singles player, senior Troy List, won by scores of 6-0, 6-2 and 6-1. Junior Jake Brougham swept all three of his games, while senior Eric Leidersdorf won two of three for the Patriots.

The doubles play was led by juniors Brandon Mischel and Jordan Parzick, who won all three of their games by scores of 6-2, 6-3 and 6-1. Freshman Jack Sanford and senior Taylor Lesser won two of three matches.

"I thought we played very well today, and I appreciated how well we functioned as a team," Viewpoint head coach Asif Azhar said.

"Our singles played very well today, winning every game but one, and that game we lost was very close. All three of our singles players played extremely hard, and I was very proud of them."

Although Viewpoint won CIF the past three years, the Patriots moved up this season to Division IV. Although the Patriots are once again in the championship, Azhar said being in a new division has been a challenge.

"Being in a different division was tough because this year we didn't know the teams we were playing as well as in past years," Azhar said. "Still, we've responded well and have continued to be very motivated and confident every time we play."

Brougham said the team isn't thinking much about the past.

"We don't dwell on the last three years and try and put more pressure on us to win this year," Brougham said. "That doesn't get us anywhere. The best thing to do is try your best every match."

Brougham said that strategy worked well for him on Tuesday.

"I was trying to focus more on every single point and not slack off- ever," Brougham said. "I thought I had a great day with my serve as well. I've been working on it in practice a lot lately, and it really helped me today."

Parzick, who played on the squad last season, said his teamwork with Mischel has improved greatly over time.

"Brandon and I have been playing doubles together for a year now, so I think we have now learned to complement each other's games really well," Parzick said. "We have our strategy down now. He plays the net most of the time while I play back, unless I have to come in and get a shorter ball every now and then."

Parzick said he's sometimes surprised how well the team is doing this season.

"We lost seven of our players from last year, so at the start of the season I came in not knowing how well we were going to do," Parzick said.

"But a lot of our new additions have really stepped up and played well. Lately I'm not surprised at how well we've been playing. We're really bearing down right now and doing our best to get that fourth championship."