Boys Tennis (2023)
Panthers Conclude Great Season at NCS Championships in Arcata
May 15, 2023—After a very long day of travel up north to Arcata, California, three of the Panthers’ Varsity Boys Tennis team participated in the North Coast Section Division II Singles and Doubles Championship Events as the Sophomore duo of Shane Daniels and Julien Blake, as well as Senior Gideon Amanuel, took part in this prestigious championship round.
However, even though all three Panthers showed great effort and competed in their respective events, all three would come up short, eliminating them from postseason play. Despite the loss in their events, these three Panthers, as well as the rest of their teammates, have a lot to be proud of for their successful season, and a lot to look forward to in the Spring of 2024.
Panthers Go Down to University HS in NCS
May 9, 2023—On a sunny afternoon at Mountain Lake Park, the Varsity Boys Tennis took on the University High Red Devils in the First Round of
the North Coast Section Playoffs where they ultimately were defeated, eliminating the Panthers squad in NCS play.
However, even though the Panthers are eliminated from NCS as a team, a few of the players will still be competing in the individual component of NCS starting on Monday, May 15th, in Arcata, California. Sophomores Shane Daniels and Julien Blake, as well as Senior Gideon Amanuel, will be the three Panther participants in this event. Good luck Panthers!
Boys Tennis Has Strong Showing at League Championships
April 26, 2023—On a beautiful sunny day in Vallejo, California, the Varsity Boys Tennis team participated in the Tri-County Athletic League (TCAL) Championships in hopes to qualify for the North Coast Section (NCS) tournament. In fact, the lights were not too bright for the Panthers as they would get strong performances from a handful of their sophomores. Sophomores Colin Kiess, Shane Daniels, and Julian Blake, all made it to the semifinal round of the event. Juniors Sebastian Borg and Etienne Shafie would also qualify for the semifinal round as well.
However, it would be a day to remember for Senior, Gideon Amanuel, who would surpass last year’s semifinal round exit by advancing to the Finals in the singles event. However, Gideon would unfortunately not win the finals, but he would receive an all-league medal for his performance not only in the TCAL Championships, but his strong performance throughout the season.
The Panthers will now wait and see if any of the players qualified for the NCS Championship tournament. The tournament is scheduled for Friday, May 5th.
Panthers Go Down to Cougars on Senior Day
April 19, 2023—On a beautiful afternoon at the Albany Courts, the Varsity Boys Tennis Team hosted their crosstown rival, the Albany High Cougars, for their Senior Day match. Prior to the start of the match, the Panthers honored two of their seniors for their four years of hard work and dedication to the Boys Tennis Program—Gideon Amanuel and Theo Schreiber-Cohn.
However, despite the pregame celebration, the Panthers would lose a close match against the Albany Cougars by the score of 4-3. However, regardless of the outcome, it does not overshadow the time, effort, and resilience that the Panther Seniors, Gideon and Theo, have displayed throughout their fantastic careers at Saint Mary’s.
The Panthers will now have to quickly turn their attention as they will be back at it tomorrow when they travel to Vallejo to take on the Jesse Bethel High Jaguars in the regular season finale. The match is set to start at 3:30PM.
Panthers Top Pirates in Non-League Bout
April 4, 2023—In a non-league battle between two closely matched teams, the Varsity Boys Tennis team traveled to San Leandro, CA, to take on the San Leandro High Pirates, defeating them in a very close affair by the score of 4-3.
Both the Panthers and the Pirates were deadlocked at 3-3 prior to the final match of the day with the Pirates having won 3 singles matches, and the Panthers winning 1 singles match and two doubles matches. However, it would be the Panthers who would come through as the Sophomore duo of John Brailsford and Peter Podesta would take the final doublesmatch of the day and clinch the victory for the Panthers.
The Panthers will return to TCAL play tomorrow, April 5th, as they will travel to Richmond to take on their longtime rival, the Salesian Pride. The match is scheduled for 3:30PM.
Panthers Top Longtime Rival El Cerrito 4-3
March 30, 2023—After a few days of heavy rain, leading to a handful of postponements, the Varsity Boys Tennis Team finally got some sunshine as they traveled to El Cerrito to take on their long time TCAL rival, the El Cerrito High Gauchos. The Panthers and Gauchos found themselves in a tight, back-and-forth affair. However, the Panthers would be the ones to prevail, beating the Gauchos by the score of 4-3.
Even though the Panthers lost 3 of the 4 singles matches, it was the Panthers double teams that proved vital as they would win all their respective doubles matches to give them the victory. The doubles team of Junior, Etienne Shafie, and Sophomore, Colin Kiess, as well as the doubles team of Junior, Declan Zuber, and Freshman, Simon Murphy, performed very well, giving them their respective victories.
The Panthers will look forward to next week when they travel to San Leandro to take on the San Leandro High Pirates on Tuesday, April 4th. The match is scheduled to start at 3:30PM.
Panthers Fall Short in Close Affair to O'Dowd
March 22, 2023—On a sunny yet chilly afternoon at Merritt College, the Varsity Boys Tennis Team traveled to Oakland to
take on the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons in a tightly-contested matchup that came to one game.
Despite the loss, the Panthers usual suspects came to play, winning their respective matches. Those usual suspects were Senior, Gideon Amanuel, and Sophomore, Shane Daniels, would win their singles matches in the 3rd final sets, keeping the Panthers within striking distance of victory.
The Panthers will now have to move on and turn their attention back towards league play as they will face off against another tough opponent in the Albany High Cougars. The game is scheduled for Thursday, March 23rd, at 3:30PM.
Panthers Win 2nd Straight Match Over Pride
March 16, 2023—In their second matchup of the season on back-to-back days, the Panthers followed up their shutout performance against Jesse Bethel with another 7-0 shutout victory over their longtime rival, the Salesian Pride.
The Panthers had a lot of key contribution from their entire lineup, especially from Senior, Gideon Amanuel, and Sophomore, Shane Daniels.
The Panthers will look to extend their winning streak when they take on yet another TCAL opponent, the St. Patrick-St. Vincent Bruins, on Tuesday, March 21st. The match is scheduled for 3:30PM.
Varsity Boys Tennis Kickoff 2023 Season With Shutout Victory
March 15, 2023—In their first match of the season following multiple rainouts, the Varsity Boys Tennis team traveled to Vallejo, CA, where they dominant in a 7-0 victory over TCAL foe, the Jesse Bethel High Jaguars.
The Panthers were led by Senior, Gideon Amanuel, who was stellar in his singles match to help the Panthers achieve their season opening win.
The Panthers will look to build off of their big win when they take on their longtime rival, the Salesian Pride, in the team’s first home match of the season. The match is scheduled for Thursday, March 16th, at 3:30PM