Mia Thurrell
On May 2, Aragon boys tennis (16-2 overall, 14-0) triumphed over Gunn High School winning the Central Coast Section playoff match 5-2 and advancing to the next round. The win was a massive upset, as Gunn is a part of a very competitive league and was projected to win according to player rankings. However, Aragon came through as the underdogs, winning three of their matches in straight sets and two others in tiebreakers to seal their spot in the next round.
“This is a top team from the top league in our area so it’s a huge win,” said head coach Dave Owdom. “It’s going to probably turn heads in that league.”
Junior Akbar Beg, Aragon’s first singles player, fought hard in his match but ultimately lost 10-7 in the tie-break. After losing the first set 6-3, Beg came back to win the second set 6-1, but couldn’t overcome the slow start, dropping the third set.
“I had some kind of confidence before and the fact that it got broken down in the first set messed me up really badly,” Beg said. “I let it get the better of me, control my emotions a little too much, and it just didn’t end up that well.”
However, Aragon’s second singles player, sophomore Veraaz Khan came through, winning 6-0, 3-6, 7-6(6) after a competitive match that went into a third set. Sophomore Darrin O’Brien, Aragon’s third singles player, followed suit, taking his match in straight-sets, with a score of 6-4, 6-3. Setting the tone early, O’Brien maintained a lead throughout the first set and carried that momentum over to dominate in the second.
“The reason I won was because I was confident,” O’Brien said. “I didn’t really care whether I won or lost, I did my personal best and that worked out so I’ll keep on doing that every match.”
Aragon senior Cooper Wong closed out the singles matches in a decisive win, with a score of 6-2, 6-0, completely shutting out his opponent in the second set. In addition to his contributions on the court, Wong, along with senior Elan Smyla, plays an important role on the team as co-captain.
“[The captains] get them focused, but they also break the ice a little bit and get them to relax,” Owdom said. “They really get together and have good team spirit because they’re always sticking around for the end … Even though the match has been decided, they are all cheering on their own teammates.”
As co-captain, Smyla, who won his doubles match with partner sophomore Benjamin Lee 6-4, 7-6, also carries the responsibilities that come with being a leader on the team.
“I think the main role of team captain is just to rile up the troops and keep morale high,” Smyla said. ”Coach can only connect with our players so much so I think it’s good to have other students, people that they can look up to and kind of take as role models.”
Smyla acknowledges that the heart of a captain comes not from skill but rather their mindset and commitment to the game.
“I’m not better than a lot of these kids,” Smyla said. “But they still look up to me because of my attitude to the game and my positivity.”
Juniors Thomas Nie and Keiya Wada, Aragon’s first doubles, fought hard against Gunn but unfortunately fell short in the tiebreak, with a score of 4-6, 2-6 (7), 8-10. However, Aragon’s second doubles, junior Jack He and sophomore Max Gan, had already claimed the match with their previous 6-3, 6-4 win, bringing Aragon’s score to four. Sometimes getting distracted by other courts or cheering on teams, he and Gan are constantly working on improving their focus and communication on the court.
“As a partner, you have to have moments where we kind of tell each other to back down or step up,” Gan said. “But I think overall, our communication is progressively getting better as we play more games together.”
Aragon’s third doubles, juniors Ziv Rapaport and Justin Wong, closed it out strong for the Dons, winning their game with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 10-6.
“These guys are just doing things that Aragon tennis hasn’t done in years,” Owdom said. “Not only being a champion, but beating a really good team in the first round … in the premier league basically in our area.”
Aragon eventually moved on to lose 6-1 to eventual CCS finalist Saratoga High School in the quarterfinals, ending their season with a 16-2 record overall. Boys tennis upsets Gunn 5-2 in CCS
