Eagles aim to defend league crown

Chris Yemma

Four years ago, Estancia High girls tennis coach Rachel de los Santos

was asked to do a favor.

The boys tennis coach had quit just days before the season was set

to begin and de los Santos was asked to fill in until a replacement

could be found.

Four years later, the replacement was never found.

“When he quit, they asked me if I could take over the boys,” de

los Santos said. “And here I am four years later.”

In three years of coaching the boys, de los Santos turned around

what was once a cellar dweller in the Pacific Coast League, into a

formidable force in the Golden West League.

Last season’s squad won the league title and received a berth in

the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs for the first time in

recent memory. The Eagles received a little help from a crosstown

rival.

“Going into the last two matches, we were in second place and we

thought Saddleback had secured the [league] title,” de los Santos

said. “All [the Roadrunners] had to do was beat Costa Mesa, but, for

some reason, they had an injured player or something, they lost to

Mesa and then to us.”

Last year’s league title was believed to be the first in school

history, de los Santos said. Estancia lost in the first round to

Rubidoux on games, 85-83.

This season, Estancia is hoping to vie for a second straight

league championship with the help of a couple of key returners.

No. 1 singles returner junior Scott Braunsdorf, last season’s

league singles champion, is back to lead the way.

Junior Andy Nelson also returns at No. 3 singles.

Touted freshman Brad Fisher is set to shore up the No. 2 singles

spot.

“I heard about Fisher last year,” de los Santos said.

“[Braunsdorf] told me that this kid was coming in, but I didn’t

actually see him play until this school year. I could tell by

watching him that he is a good tennis player.”

Fisher may be one of the best tennis players to come through

Estancia, said de los Santos, who added that this year’s singles

lineup will be the school’s strongest in some time.

“We have a chance at winning league,” she said. “The way that the

league is set up, everybody has a chance.”

Estancia’s doubles are expected to be a little weaker this year.

The Nos. 2 and 3 spots have yet to be set in stone and will be

determined after the first few nonleague matches, de los Santos said.

Seniors David Do and Chase Raymond, the only returning doubles

players, will play at No. 1.

But despite the lack of doubles experience, de los Santos is

optimistic about 2005.

“It’s somewhat of a rebuilding year,” she said. “Pretty much, we

have all of our doubles players either coming up from [junior

varsity] or are brand new. But I’m still expecting to have as

successful a year as last year.”