Beckman's Megan Heneghan prepares for a backhand. Rose Palmisano, The Register

Beckman's Megan Heneghan claimed her third consecutive PCL singles championship Wednesday at Corona del Mar.

The senior improved to 58-0 by beating Jocelyn Lu of Laguna Hills, 8-5, in the finals.

In the doubles championship match, Corona del Mar's Melissa Matsuoka and Hailey Hogan defeated University's Hayley Thompson and Kyra Scott, 8-3. Matsuoka and Hogan, both seniors, won the doubles title as sophomores before losing in the semifinals of CIF. Hogan didn't play with the team last year, and Matsuoka played singles, where she lost to Heneghan in the final.

All finals participants qualified for the CIF-SS individual tournament beginning Friday, Nov. 20.

Click here to see more photos.

No. 2 Corona del Mar survived again, 10-8, over No. 3 University. The Sea Kings beat University on games in their first meeting.

In other PCL action, Beckman edged Laguna Hills, 10-8, to remain in third place in league and clinch their playoff spot.

CdM, because of sickness, mixed their lineup up, placing singles players Melissa Matsuoka and Hailey Hogan in doubles, though on separate teams. The moved paid off. Though University won 8 singles sets, the Sea Kings swept doubles and used Katelyn Nguyen's lone victory in singles to prevail.

Last time it was Matsuoka rallying from a 2-5 deficit in singles to give CdM the victory, and another rally was needed this time. Nguyen trailed 1-4 before pulling out a 6-4 victory in a pivotal result. Matsuoka trailed in doubles, 5-6, before winning the final set in a tiebreaker.

The victory gave CdM its 11th straight league championship.

As for Beckman, Megan Heneghan lost just one game in sweeping, including a 6-1 victory over Jocelyn Lu. The Patriots won six doubles sets.

In Sunset League action, Newport Harbor defeated Esperanza, 10-8, to improve to 8-0 and clinch a playoff spot. The Sailors can win the league title outright with another victory over Los Alamitos this week. Newport Harbor ended the Griffins' 19-year stranglehold on the league championship last year by taking the title. Samantha Stalder and Blake Bakklia each won two sets at singles.

In South Coast League play, Capistrano Valley upset second-place San Clemente, 10-8, to pull into third place in league. The Cougars (5-4) was 2-3 and in fourth place after the first round of league. The Cougars had lost to San Clemente and Tesoro 11-7 in the first meeting. However, the Cougars beat both teams in Round 2, 10-8. Capo Valley can clinch the final playoff spot with a victory against Mission Viejo on Thursday.

The latest head turner was the Pacific Coast League match between No. 2 Corona del Mar and No. 3 University.

The Sea Kings edged the Trojans on games, 82-76, at CdM.

CdM can thank Melissa Matsuoka for her giant comeback in the final match of the day. Matsuoka trailed Kyra Scott, 2-5, with Uni leading in sets, 9-8.

Matsuoka rallied to win in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (5), to pull off the escape and hold onto first place in league.

That makes the rematch must see theater.

Also in the PCL, Beckman upset No. 9 Laguna Hills, 11-7, to take control of the third spot.

More from the girls tennis blog:

Girls tennis: Top 10 shake up (and headache)

Girls tennis: Tesoro edges Capo Valley, 11-7

Girls tennis: No. 1 Dana Hills earns big victory

Girls tennis: Laguna Hills gets past Santa Margarita

Girls tennis: Sea View League preview

University's Hayley Thompson is a big part of the Trojans' future. Paul Bersebach, The Register.

With four consecutive CIF-SS Division I final appearances - including two championships - the University's boys tennis team is in the midst of an incredible run of dominance. (The Trojans haven't lost to a county team in boys tennis since Dana Hills beat them in the 2006 CIF-SS Div. I final.)

Are the girls beginning to set themselves up for a similar type of stretch? Maybe.

An influx of freshmen talent, which includes four ninth-graders in the starting lineup, has Trojans coach John Kessler excited about the future. In fact, Kessler has just two seniors on this year's team.

"We have some more young girls coming," said Kessler of the future. "Plus, who we have coming back. I think we are going to give Corona del Mar a run for their money in the new league."

Kessler was alluding to next year's releaguing, when Uni and CdM join Northwood, Woodbridge, Irvine and Beckman.

On Tuesday against Northwood, the Trojans singles lineup had Ali Dawson (junior), Kyra Scott (sophomore) and Krystal Lai (freshman) playing. The doubles featured freshmen Caroline Knoll, Hayley Thompson and Shannon Theisen.

"We are definitely beginning something we can continue for many years," Dawson said. "We just need to continue to get better."

The biggest obstacle the Uni's girls team faces is a Dana Hills girls team that is on an almost equivalent streak to the Uni boys team.

The Dolphins have reached consecutive CIF-SS Division I finals, and are early favorites to reach the championship match again. Like the Trojans, the Dolphins benefited from their own freshmen group, including Alyssa Smith, Jessica Perez and Cassidy Spearman. Dana Hills also has a talent pool it can keep drawing from in the future.

"If you look at Dana Hills," Kessler said, "they are one or two years ahead of us. Dana was already at where we are at now. Can we close that gap? That's the big question. Dana Hills is a powerhouse."

More from the girls tennis blog:

• Girls tennis: No. 3 University beats No. 7 Northwood
• Girls tennis: What's on tap this week
• Girls tennis: Top 10 (Sept. 14)
• Girls tennis: CdM second in Fresno tourney
• Girls tennis: Nguyen athlete of the week

What happened:

Records: University 2-0; Northwood 2-1

Impact: Early season matches like this one help sort out the county rankings, where Northwood made its debut at No. 7 this week. The Trojans opened the season No. 3, and showed why they are the county's best team not named Dana Hills or Corona del Mar.

Match of the Day: University's Ali Dawson v. Northwood's Courtney Pattugalan. Junior takes on junior, and a rematch of last year's match that Dawson took in a tiebreaker. Dawson stormed out to a 5-1 lead Tuesday, only to watch Pattugalan climb back to 5-4. Dawson was able to close the match out, and won 6-4. It helped the Trojans take Round 2, 6-0, and lead 11-1 overall.

More from the girls tennis blog:

• Girls tennis: What's on tap this week
• Girls tennis: Top 10 (Sept. 14)
• Girls tennis: CdM second in Fresno tourney
• Girls tennis: Nguyen athlete of the week
• Girls tennis: CdM heading north

University's Kona Luu is one Trojans who is back in 2010. Paul Bersebach, The Register

The boys tennis season is a long way off, but it's never too soon to see what might happen.

There are plenty of unknowns, yet one thing is for sure - the landscape is going to change.

Too many seniors are graduating, and too many lineups are changing for it not to have a different feel come 2010.

A preview of what it might look like:

Top 5 storylines to watch for in 2010

5. Which individual is going to fill the void?

The top senior talent is moving on, and what a bunch it is. It includes but is not limited to University's John Huang and Matt Siow, Mater Dei's Chris Freeman and Charlie Alvarado, and Dana Hills' Warren Hardie. Who takes over as the best in the county? Canyon's junior to be Denis Nguyen would be the early favorite after reaching the semifinals of Ojai and Round of 16 in the CIF-SS individual tournament.

4. Who will make more noise - Valenica or Laguna Beach?

Both teams lost in their respective division finals in CIF. Both return almost their entire lineups in tack. Both have the potential to rise in the county rankings. Which program will have the more successful year, and can either get the title they missed out on this year?

3. Which of this year's freshman class will explode?

The ninth graders were out in full force this season, leaving county tennis fans with excitement and optimism for the years to come. Which player of this group is going to be the cream of the crop? The early favorite suggests Mater Dei's sophomore to be Justin Agbayani may be the one to watch.

2. Can the county players reclaim a singles or doubles individuals championship in 2010?

County players were shut out during the individual tournament, the first time since 2000 the county didn't have an individual title holder. The last time the county went consecutive seasons without an individual champ was 1998-2000.

1. What will happen to University?

The Trojans are in transition, and who knows what that means for a team like the Trojans. They are losing three key contributing seniors, and possibly their freshman sensation. Can the Trojans absorb those depatures and still remain the dominant program they have come to be? Or are they primed to be taken down, say by a team like Corona del Mar?

Possible top 10 for 2010

1. University (Final 2009 ranking No. 1) - Trojans lose 3 key seniors from team that reached four straight CIF finals. Still, depth should be deep enough to keep Trojans tops in county.

2. Corona del Mar (3) - Sea Kings lose 2 key seniors from team that spent entire year at No. 3 in county. Sea Kings could push University for No. 1 spot.

3. Dana Hills (6) - Dolphins lose the best singles player in the county, but still have two good ones in the lineup and doubles should improve from this season.

4. Troy (4) - Warriors are tough team to gauge. They lose their No. 1 singles players and a couple key doubles guys, but this program always seems to wind up among the best in the county.

5. Mater Dei (2) - Monarchs could suffer biggest hit of any team in county. They lose 7 seniors from a team that reached the semifinals. They still have one of the better players in the county in sophomore Justin Agbayani.

6. Woodbridge (7) - Warriors return key singles player in Mikey Zablan, and coach Ric Barth teaches a solid doubles game that keeps the Warriors among the county's top 10.

7. Northwood (5) - Timberwolves lose their top singles players and top doubles team. There is enough talent returning, however, that coach Eric Keith should find a way to keep his team in the top 10.

8. Santa Margarita (9) - Eagles graduate their top singles player, but have two young guns on deck. They should be strong enough to keep the Eagles in the top 10.

9. Valencia (Not ranked) - Tigers will up their nonleague schedule in the spring, and return all but two starters from a team that reached the Division III CIF final.

10. Laguna Beach (Not ranked) - Breakers are in a similar position as the Tigers, having lost the Division IV final but returns plenty of players from that team to contend again.

More from the boys tennis blog:

• All-league boys tennis: South Coast League
• All-league boys tennis: Academy league
• Boys tennis: Top 5 stories of 2009
• CIF-SS 2008-09 Team Champions: Boys Tennis
• Tobolski: Thoughts on the boys tennis team finals
• Boys tennis: Segerstrom saves county from first occurrence since 1998
• Boys tennis: Segerstrom finishes job, takes Division V championship

Segerstrom's No. 2 singles player Dylan Dongrid hits a forehand during the team's CIF championship victory. Armando Brown/For the Register

The tennis was big time in 2009 around the boys high school scene.

There were plenty of items to remember, and that's exactly what we're out to do.

We've compiled the top moments of the season. Let us know what you think, and ones we missed.

A look back:

1. University's year: The Trojans are the perfect place to start, as they were the county's No. 1 team throughout the season. And what a road traveled. First, the Trojans won their first ever All American tournament, the nation's only national high school tournament. After that, the Trojans boosted their winning streak to an impressive 50 matches by beating Laguna Beach, 14-4, on May 1. The Trojans pushed it to 54 consecutive wins before falling to Thousand Oaks in the CIF-SS Division I final, 10-8. It was the Trojans fourth straight trip to the CIF final.

2. Segerstrom's magical season: The Jaguars did what no Santa Ana school before it did - win a CIF championship in boys tennis. Santa Ana last appeared in a final in 1962. The Jaguars, semifinalists the past two seasons, captured the ultimate prize in the school's fourth year of existence. The school was also the only county team to win a CIF championship in boys tennis this season, as four programs reached and three came up dry.

3. Mater Dei springs upset: Upsets are rare inthe playoffs in team tennis. Rarely do you see a No. 6 seed beating a No. 3 seed, but that's what the Monarchs did to Santa Barbara. They beat the Dons 11-7 in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division I playoffs to advance.

4. Ojai wet and wild: The story, as much as the tennis, was the weather. It was wet, with Thursday's and Friday's action delayed. In the end, two county singles players and two county doubles teams reached the semifinals. Warren Hardie (Dana Hills) and Denis Nguyen (Canyon) made it in singles, while Parker Rhodes/Shane Korber (Corona del Mar) and John Huang/Michael Tang (University) did in doubles.

5. Division II final produces rare situation: It happened between non-county teams Brentwood and San Marino. The teams finished tied at 9-9. Brentwood counted up its games to 75. San Marino also counted its games to 75.

However, the CIF officials added Brentwood’s scores up incorrectly at first, and had San Marino winning the match 75-73. Brentwood was sure about its games count, and the officials recounted and the final count came to 75-75.

The teams headed back to the courts to have the match decided by tiebreakers. They played the 3 singles and 3 doubles rounds again, this time using tiebreakers instead of sets. Brentwood ended up winning the match in the tiebreak period.

Division I

1. University

2. Thousand Oaks

3. Santa Barbara

4. Palos Verdes

5. Harvard-Westlake

6. Mater Dei

7. Corona del Mar

8. Mira Costa

9. Peninsula

10. Troy

••• •••  ••• •••  ••• •••  ••• •••  ••• ••• 

Division II

1. Brentwood

2. San Marino

3. Palm Desert

4. Beverly Hills

5. Villa Park

6. Diamond Bar

7. San Luis Obispo

8. Temple City

9. Arcadia

10. Santa Monica

••• •••  ••• •••  ••• •••  ••• •••  ••• ••• 

Division III

1. Valencia

2. Claremont

3. Long Beach Poly

4. Corona

5. Santiago/Corona

6. Vista Murrieta

7. Great Oak

8. Redlands East Valley

9. Lakewood

10. Oaks Christian

••• •••  ••• •••  ••• •••  ••• •••  ••• ••• 

Division IV

1. Cerritos

2. Cate

3. Whitney

4. Sage Hill

5. Walnut

6. Laguna Beach

7. Rowland

8. Thacher

9. Viewpoint

10. Buckley

••• •••  ••• •••  ••• •••  ••• •••  ••• ••• 

Division V

1. Segerstrom

2. Arroyo

3. Don Bosco Tech

4. Linfield Christian

5. Arlington

6. La Salle

7. San Dimas

8. Woodcrest Christian

9. Jurupa Valley

10. Magnolia

Division I

1. University

2. Thousand Oaks

3. Santa Barbara

4. Harvard-Westlake

5. Palos Verdes

6. Mater Dei

7. Corona del Mar

8. Mira Costa

9. Peninsula

10. Troy
Division II

1. San Marino

2. Palm Desert

3. Diamond Bar

4. San Luis Obispo

5. Valencia

6. Temple City

7. Arcadia

8. El Dorado

9. West Ranch

10. Not Reported
Division III

1. Beverly Hills

2. Valencia/Placentia

3. Santa Monica

4. Claremont

5. Long Beach Poly

6. Great Oak

7. Vista Murrieta

8. Santiago/Corona

9. Lakewood

10. Oak Park

Division IV

1. Cerritos

2. Walnut

3. Sage Hill

4. Rowland

5. Cate

6. Laguna Beach

7. Thacher

8. Viewpoint

9. Buckley

10. Whitney

Division V

1. Segerstrom

2. La Salle

3. La Serna

4. Don Bosco Tech

5. Linfield Christian

6. Arlington

7. San Dimas

8. Woodcrest Christian

9. Jurupa Valley

10. Arroyo

The top-ranked Trojans beat Laguna Beach, 14-4.

University, winners of back-to-back CIF titles, last lost on April 19th, 2007, to Santa Barbara. Since then, the Trojans have been unbeatable, including capturing this year's National High School Tournament.

"It has been quite a run," Trojans coach John Kessler said in an email. "We have been very fortunate to have good players over the last four years.  Also, doing this in Division I and playing the schedule that we do is pretty impressive."

University owns victories over No. 2 Mater Dei and No. 3 Corona del Mar, and Peninsula, which is ranked No. 8 in Division I, this year.

The Trojans lost in the CIF-SS Division I final in 2006 to Dana Hills, 13-5. They beat Peninsula, 11-7, in 2007, and last year defeated Santa Barbara on games 81-77.

The Dons are currently ranked No. 3 in Division I, behind No. 2 Thousands Oaks, featuring Ojai singles champion Marcos Giron. The odds favor University playing one of those teams in the final, with their CIF and match streak hanging in the balance.

No matter what happens, 50 wins is a worthy accomplishment, especially against the caliber of competition University faces.

More from the boys tennis blog:

• Boys tennis: Athlete of the Week
• Boys tennis: Top 10 rankings
• The Ojai: Saturday’s recap
• The Ojai: Orange County players finished
• The Ojai: Nguyen falls in three; University doubles to third set
• The Ojai: Hardie out; Canyon’s Nguyen in third set
• The Ojai: Canyon’s Nguyen takes first set over top seed