No local Catholic high school has won a CIF-Southern Section team championship in boys’ tennis since Santa Margarita won the Division 2 title in 2015 — and that represented the first and only Catholic school championship since Servite won in 2001.
This year, however, the Eagles — coached then as now by Doug Williams — are aiming to break that drought, having taken over the top spot in Division 2 of the weekly CIF-SS rankings issued March 25. One more month of regular season competition remains prior to the start of playoffs on April 30.
Santa Margarita’s Trinity League rival, Mater Dei, is making its own push for post-season glory, ranking second in D-3. Bishop Montgomery is sixth in D-4, and Bishop Amat seventh n D-5.
Catholic school rankings in other sports include the following:
Baseball: Division 1, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks is eighth, Servite ninth, and J.Serra tenth in Division 1; Paraclete tenth in D-3; Mary Star of the Sea tenth in D-4; Bishop Diego sixth in D-5; St. Anthony third and St. Monica seventh in D-6; and St. Monica Academy tenth in D-7.
Softball: Santa Margarita is seventh in D-1; St. Anthony ninth and Pomona Catholic tenth in D-4; Louisville sixth, Serra eighth and Paraclete tenth in D-5; Marymount fourth in D-6; and Mayfield ninth in D-7.
Boys’ volleyball: The combined Divisions 1 & 2 poll (with teams separated at playoff time in late April) includes Loyola fifth, Servite 12th and Santa Margarita 14th. J. Serra is fourth in D-3. St. Anthony is fifth in D-4, and Don Bosco Tech fourth in D-6.
No polls are issued for track and field, swimming and diving, and boys’ golf. Regular season play continues through late April, followed by playoff action which concludes by early June.
Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News).
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