Where do they go after Laguna Blanca?

The boys of Laguna Blanca Tennis Having a Good Time, As Usual Henry Farrell, Phillip Hicks, Dalton Smith 2014

In my first five years at Laguna Blanca as boys’ tennis coach, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of an impressive turn-around in the program. In 2009, the team finished 1-11 on the season, with their only victory coming against an all-freshmen squad from the newly opened Orcutt Academy.

Since that time, we’ve steadily progressed and become a consistently top-10 ranked team in CIF Division Four. In addition, we now have an impressive tennis facility on-site, which makes the draw of Laguna’s tennis program all the more alluring from a sporting perspective.

With the new norm of sporting success, it’s easy to forget that we are not just a strong athletic program, but that graduates of our program are equally successful academically. Continue reading “Where do they go after Laguna Blanca?”

A Photo Tour of the Laguna Blanca Tennis Camp 2014

Laguna Blanca Tennis Camp 2014

We are now three days into our inaugural camp and already it seems we’ve been together for weeks! The camp has been a pleasure for the coaching staff to put on and we feel the campers have been enjoying themselves as well. Here are a few photos of what we’ve been up to: Continue reading “A Photo Tour of the Laguna Blanca Tennis Camp 2014”

SB Tennis Patrons Summer Tournament Schedule

Each summer, SB Tennis Patrons encourages clubs to host one-weekend junior tournaments for Santa Barbara area tennis players. These events are not sanctioned by the USTA, meaning they won’t count for ranking. These events are a great opportunity for those just getting into tournament play, or those who can’t commit to traveling to tournaments multiple weekends in a row.

Here’s the list of Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons tournaments for Summer 2014!

Laguna Boys’ Tennis 2014 CIF Playoff Recap

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. Continue reading “Laguna Boys’ Tennis 2014 CIF Playoff Recap”

Laguna Competes in Ojai Invitational, League and Division Match-Play; Eats Famous Shortcake

Phillip Hicks Eats Strawberry Shortcake at The Ojai

It’s been a busy week and a half for the Laguna Owls, with four matches and two players competing in the oldest and most prestigious tournament in California.

The high school division of The Ojai is an invitation-only event, pitting the top 64 singles players and doubles teams in CIF against each other in individual competition. Laguna Blanca’s Tristan Prinz and Phillip Hicks were entered and accepted as a doubles squad, while Ben Furukawa made the alternate list but did not have the opportunity to compete. Continue reading “Laguna Competes in Ojai Invitational, League and Division Match-Play; Eats Famous Shortcake”

Laguna Wins Again, Picks up Steam

Laguna Blanca Owls On-Court against DunnLaguna Blanca boys’ tennis won again, bringing our win-streak to three and our overall record to 8-4.

Laguna was led by Ben Furukawa and Phillip Hicks in singles, with both picking up sweeps. In doubles, Henry Farrell/Martin Barnick swept their matches at #2 and Tristan Prinz/Kylan Tyng made quick work of their two opponents before being subbed out in the third round of play.

Our next match will be at division rival Santa Ynez on Tuesday, April 22nd. Last year, we played a very close match during the regular season, falling 8-10, and then blew a 4-1 lead in the second round of CIF Playoffs to fall 12-6.

Come out and show your support as we look to make amends for last year and even if you can’t make it out, be sure to follow our results here on ThorpeTennis.com!

Laguna Owls Back in Flight with 10-8 Win over Carpinteria

Laguna Blanca Boys' Tennis 2014

Anybody who follows Laguna Tennis will know by now that our match against Cate last week did not go well. However, we’re on the mend with a quick victory and over the next two weeks we’ll play four more matches leading into a rematch with Cate during their parents’ weekend. Continue reading “Laguna Owls Back in Flight with 10-8 Win over Carpinteria”

Laguna Blanca Takes Down Rio Mesa

Coach Thorpe Talks to Laguna Blanca Team after Victory over Rio Mesa Tennis

After our win yesterday against Bishop Diego, we had one match left before spring break. Rio Mesa plays in Division 2, two divisions ahead of us, and came in with a 3-0 record. We beat them last year in a tight 9-9 match, and early on this match looked like it might go the distance as well. Continue reading “Laguna Blanca Takes Down Rio Mesa”

Furukawa Courts Dedicated at Laguna Blanca

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After years of attempts, Laguna Blanca was finally able to secure approval to build its new tennis facility on the upper campus in Hope Ranch. The project was completed in record-time once approvals were received, and we have now had the opportunity to play several home matches and hold a number of practices on campus for the first time! On Wednesday, the entire school took part in a dedication ceremony. Continue reading “Furukawa Courts Dedicated at Laguna Blanca”