Tennis wins first round of CIF playoffs, defeating San Jacinto High, 10-7
Despite injuries and nerves, the team is lifted by strong performances from both its singles and doubles players
Shantel Marentes leads her teammates on the Yellowjacket ladies tennis team into battle against the San Jacinto Tigers in round one of the 2022 CIF Ladies Tennis Playoffs.
Colton, CA—The time is now.
On November 1st, the Yellowjackets played their first CIF playoff round against San Jacinto High School. Both teams made tremendous effort, yet after the dust settled, the Yellowjackets came out victorious,10-7.
This was the team’s first time in the CIF playoffs since 2016. Before the match, players were nervous.
The set-up for the tennis match was the same as usual: Let the stars shine. For the singles, Colton started Shantel Marentes, Emily Ramirez, and Kimberly Emilio.
Ramirez stole the spotlight despite losing her matches: She had shin splints and was in severe pain, but she didn’t go down without a fight. She lost 4-6, 4-6, 5-6 which speaks for itself.
“Everyone has to ice their legs after running.” Emily shared her advice for those with the same experience.
Marentes continued her excellence, winning two of her three matches (3-6, 6-2, 6-3) while Emilio lost two of her sets before winning her third (0-6, 0-6, 6-4).
The doubles teams came in clutch in this game, with Jasmin Almazan and Cecilia Flores winning all three of their sets (6-3, 6-2, 5-0). The stress didn’t factor in too much for this compatible duo. “I feel like I had to push myself a bit more,” said Almanzan.
Valeria Pech and Hazel Macias won 2 of their 3 sets (6-2, 3-6 ,6-0); Ashley Galvan and Katia Razo also took 2 out of 3 sets (6-2, 4-6, 6-2), which secured the win.
The match victory came down to the last round. Colton was up 6 sets to 5. Every player gave their best and the team took 4 sets to win. Marentes, Almazan, Flores, Pech, Macias, Galvan, and Razo each scored 6 points in their sets.
Despite their anxiety, the Yellowjackets pushed their limits and implemented what coach Omar Menjivar taught them to push through and win the game. “They found something extra in them to make it happen,” Menjivar emphasized.
Now it’s on to round 2 of the CIF Playoffs, with Colton traveling to Apple Valley today to face off against Granite Hills High School. Start time is 2 p.m.
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Tyler Morales is a sophomore attending Colton High School. He writes for the Pepper Bough and involves himself around different activities at the school....
Senior Myles Garza is a staff writer for the Pepper Bough newspaper. His interests are in music, film and sports. He is an avid reader, writer, and athlete...