Boys tennis served up yet another league championship and a CIF spot this season. For the past eight years in a row, boys tennis has earned a spot in the CIF playoffs and league championship, a feat that is unmatched by any other sports team at CHS. Despite the fact that the team had multiple coaching changes within the past eight years, they still managed to be successful. This season, they have been able to obtain another league title and playoff spot with an undefeated record of 10-0 under second year varsity head coach Clint Reese.

Another factor in their dominance in the league is the drive that each player has individually, which contributes to the greater good of the whole team. The season itself is not very long while the majority of training is in the spring preseason. This leaves it to the players themselves to make sure all members keep up with their practice during the summer. In order to achieve this, players must keep working hard, whether that be with a coach or by themselves. Although tennis may be known as more of an individual sport, all players still contribute the same amount of work as other team sports. Junior and varsity co-captain Naveen Mohideen believes that the team chemistry is based on the dedication of the individuals.

“It is a great honor to be one of the two captains of this year’s varsity team. To lead the team is really special and a bit scary because of the pressure,” Mohideen said. “The team puts in a lot of work”.

Though the team may not have had very much stability due to new coaches every year, the team did get to see coach Reese come back for his second season this year. With the all the new coaches that the tennis team receives, the most dramatic changes for the team were the addition of two freshmen players, brothers Harrison and Hunter Bojalid, as well as the graduation of one of their strongest leaders of last year, Alan Leahy. One of the new players, varsity player sophomore and German exchange student Philippe Schicker is very happy that he was able to join the tennis team this year.

“It is a great feeling to win and know that I individually helped contribute to the team’s overall victory,” Schicker said. “Being apart of a team that is so successful during my first year here has been great.”

There is no doubt that the experience of the players is one large contributor to what separates them from most of their competition, allowing them to be so flourishing. Part of this experience comes from the fact that the Claremont community provides greater opportunities for players to grow and improve before they reach high school, unlike some surrounding schools such as Charter Oak and Chino Hills. These players are prepared for league competition, as they have been facing tough competition throughout their lives prior to high school at clubs such as the Claremont Club and the Upland Tennis Club as well as competing in United States Tennis Association (USTA) tournaments.

“The many different tennis facilities we have in the Claremont community really help our high school in regards to tennis,” athletic director Rick Dutton said.

This year’s team has been able to keep the tradition of excellence within CHS’s tennis program alive and looks to achieve the level that was reached in 2008 with a CIF championship. Though tennis may be considered as an individual sport at times, at the high school level a team as a whole cannot truly achieve dominance without contributions made by all members of the team. They have done an exceptional job of winning in their individual matches which helped lead them to an undefeated record and a postseason spot just like the past seven teams that have come before them.