Well, there’s no denying that Laguna is on the playoff map. In the last two years we’ve not only made the playoffs, but also won a round. As with last year, this year’s second round opponent proved to be an underrated adversary.

In the first round, Laguna beat Cajon High School by the score 11-7, with dominant performances turned in by our singles guys Tristan, Phillip, and Ben. In doubles, Henry and Martin continue to improve and picked up three wins to seal the deal.

As the #7 seed, we were bound to draw either the #9 or #10 seed in the second round, so it was always looking like a tough match. Despite 5 wins in singles, including Tristan Prinz’s victory over a top-#300 in the country player, Laguna came up short in a 6-12 loss. Henry and Martin picked up the lone win in doubles. We came up short, but held our heads high, having put in a good effort and played at about the level we have been during the season.

Little did we know that Corona/Centennial High would go on to beat the #1-seeded JW North in the next round. Our performance this year becomes even more satisfactory upon realizing that Laguna Blanca was the only team to play all four of this year’s CIF semifinalists. We literally had the toughest schedule in division 4, and except for the Cate matches, we were in with a chance in every one of them.

Today, Redlands High (10-8 win over Laguna Blanca) will play Santa Ynez High (11-7 win over Laguna Blanca) for the CIF championship. Perhaps all we really lacked this season was the experience-level of these other teams, who have been fighting it out in CIF for decades. However, that is quickly being rectified with regular playoff appearances and top-10 rankings in each of the past two seasons.

Though we will miss our seniors, particularly our deadly 1-2 combo in Tristan Prinz and Ben Furukawa, their legacy will continue next year. We will be back, we will be good, and we are hungry. Go Owls!