SOUTHERN SECTION TENNIS PLAYOFFS : Fast-Working Miller Proves His Points in Calabasas Win

CALABASAS —  Darren Miller of Calabasas High hardly broke a sweat during his three sets Thursday in the second round of the Southern Section Division III playoffs.

He spent most of the afternoon wandering around and watching teammates.

He finished so early, defeating his opponents handily, that he seemed like a forgotten man--until the end.

The Coyotes, defending section champions, played to a 9-9 deadlock against Quartz Hill but advanced to Tuesday’s quarterfinals because of a 78-72 advantage in games.

Miller, who plays No. 2 singles, won 18 of those games and lost one.

He routed No. 1 Jose Guerrero, 6-1, and blew away Nos. 2-3 Aaron White and Kumar Dharma by 6-0 scores. But for a while it looked as though the three team points earned by Miller would be meaningless. Quartz Hill led, 5-1, after the first round of sets.

The Coyotes (17-5) took four of the next five sets and remained one game back until the final doubles match.

Alex Wan and Brandon Parker, playing No. 1 for Calabasas, defeated Bob Harkins and Vivek Krishnan, Quartz Hill’s No. 2 team, 6-2, to deadlock the match.

When Wan and Parker broke serve to lead, 3-1, Miller yelled from the gallery, “You got the break, so ride the wave in.”

If the Coyotes continue to ride a wave of success next week, Miller probably will have much to do with it. His record this season is 64-2.

“He basically saved the day,” Calabasas Coach Steve Caresky said.

Said Miller: “I’m usually only worth three points. I just try to do my best and not give up many points.”

Miller recorded the only sweep for Calabasas, and No. 1 singles player Jeff Herz and two doubles teams came back to win two sets after losing the first. Herz defeated White, 6-2, and Dharma, 6-3.

Wan and Parker, who lost to Ryan Drury and Ian Harper to open the match, beat Tony Garcia and James Doersam, 6-4, before their clinching victory over Harkins and Krishnan.

Marc Behrman and Gary Garcia, at No. 2 doubles, atoned for their first-round loss by upsetting Drury and Harper, 6-4, and beating Garcia and Doersam, 6-1.

In another Division III second-round match:

Burbank 17, Arroyo 1--The second-seeded Bulldogs (19-2), winners of eight consecutive Foothill League titles, lost only one singles match at Burbank. The No. 1 doubles team of Tim Harris and Stefan D’Angona swept three matches to improve to 44-3.

DIVISION I

Camarillo 14, Los Alamitos 4--Jason Gaona and Xunyoung Wang swept at No. 1 and No. 2 singles as the Scorpions (17-1) defeated the Griffins (16-1) at Los Alamitos.

Camarillo’s No. 1 doubles team of Garret Traub and Kristjan Koik also swept, improving their dual-match record to 57-0.

Camarillo, which won the Marmonte League title for the first time since 1989, will face Santa Barbara on Tuesday.

Peninsula 13, Westlake 5--Freshman Darren Joe (46-11) swept three matches at No. 1 singles, but the Warriors (14-6) lost at home. Westlake won four singles matches but the only victory at doubles was posted by the No. 1 team of Justin Huffman and Jason Joe (44-11).

Santa Barbara 17, Royal 1--No. 1 singles player Ben Bayani earned the lone point for the Highlanders (9-5) in a loss to the Channel League champion-Dons (16-6) at Santa Barbara.

Woodbridge 12, Agoura 6--Roman Braslavski swept at No. 1 singles and Bryan Leiker won two of three matches at No. 2, but the Chargers (15-7) lost to the Warriors (21-1) at home. Agoura won only one doubles match.

DIVISION II

Harvard-Westlake 15, Laguna Hills 3--David Brown at No. 1 singles lost only two games to lead Harvard (17-2) at Laguna Hills. The Wolverines did not lose a set in singles play.

San Marino 13, Glendale 5--Ji Chung and Phillip Yim each won two of three singles sets for Glendale (16-3), but the Dynamiters did not win a set in doubles competition at San Marino.