By Nasheetah Hossain and Crystal Earl
Granada Hills Charter High School (GHC) has always been known for its unparalleled success in both sports and academics. The girls and boys tennis teams represent just one of the many athletic organizations that help the school in this reputation.
The girls team has an impressive record in these tournaments as well. Last season, they ended with an 8-3 overall record, 7-2 in league matches, though they lost to Palisades Charter High School in the CIF championship game.
This season, they are competing even better. They are so far 12-0 overall and 0-0 in league matches. In fact, in seven of their 12 matches, they refused to give up any points to their opponents, often shutting out the competition. Their next match is Wednesday November 7.
One of the reasons the teams have seen so much success is that all the players work towards their success as a team, whether they compete as individuals or pairs.
The individual effort is what makes the team successful in the end. They push each other to be consistent and keep practicing to maintain their amazing records.
“What I like most is the team dynamic because individually you have to pull your own weight but you also win as a team in the end. You can work really hard and do your best, but it is as a team that you reach success,” the girls co-captain, senior Madelyn Davenport, said.
The girls team are in season now but the boys season starts in spring. For now, they are training and pushing themselves to be in the best condition by spring.
The boys tennis team has consistently maintained their winning streak by taking the league championships for the past five years. They also came in second in last year’s United States Tennis Association (USTA) tennis tournament. The boys team ended their 2018 season with a 13-3 record, and undefeated with a 10-0 record in league matches.
The top three players from last year’s boys team have graduated, but this year, the team is stronger as a whole as there is a bigger core of strong players. So while both teams work under the expectation of living up to the legacy of their predecessors, this also motivates them to keep pushing harder and doing better.
“Many of the coaches push us to not give up any games or matches. They want us to win cleanly, and not just to win for the sake of it,” senior Shaan Londhe, boys co-captain, said.
Londhe’s co-captain, senior Samuel Blumkin, continued this thought.
“I think one of the big driving factors of the team is really the example of the leaders and predecessors. What motivates us now is to prove that we are still the best team in the league even though we don’t have those unbelievably skilled leaders we had last year,” Blumkin added.
Each team’s record shows that the players take this responsibility seriously and work to win as often as they can.
The individual effort is what makes the team successful in the end. They push each other to be consistent and keep practicing to maintain their amazing records.
The coaches expect this to be another great season, this semester for the girls and next semester for the boys. With the past records of both the girls and boys teams they feel very confident in the outcomes this year.
“I’m very excited for what’s to come this season. Every player works so hard and they learn from their mistakes. Even though we don’t have the upperclassmen from last year, the current teams will definitely go far,” boys tennis coach Roger Carnow said.
Both teams have been known to dominate their leagues for the most part, and sometimes even the city championships.
Everybody has faith that the tennis team will be able to throw another successful year over their shoulders. Go cheer on the girls in their next match next Wednesday.
The Plaid Press 