Royals squeak by Ventura

The San Marcos High boys tennis team played Ventura to a 9-9 stalemate, but the Royals won the match by winning the tie-breaker 78-69.Petar Jivkov went 3-0 to improve to 36-3 on the season, but faced a difficult match against the Cougars' top singles player, Jacob Rucker. Rucker went up 3-0, but Jivkov battled back for a gritty victory."The court played fast today and Jacob started out like gangbusters," head coach Jarrod Bradley said. "Petar adjusted by playing closer to the baseline … [Read more...]

Dons’ tennis rivalry with CdM is one for the ages

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His players may be too young to know it, but Santa Barbara High boys tennis coach Greg Tebbe says the Dons’ court rivalry with Corona del Mar is like the L.A. Lakers against the Boston Celtics in the NBA.“Corona del Mar and Santa Barbara are two of the most successful high school programs in southern California in the last 30 years, I’d say,” Tebbe said at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe.The Dons, ranked fifth in CIF Division … [Read more...]

San Marcos comes up short at Arroyo Grande

The San Marcos High boys tennis team lost 11-7 in a close match on the road Tuesday to Arroyo Grande.The highlight of the night for the Royals was Petar Jivkov's 7-5 victory over Arroyo Grande's top singles player Eli Whittle."Petar moved Eli around well and finished points with precision passing shots or penetrating groundstrokes," head coach Jarrod Bradley said. "The biggest difference this year has been that Petar is holding serve easier."Jivkov went undefeated on the day and is … [Read more...]

Royals squeak by Ventura in tiebreaker

The San Marcos boys tennis team played Ventura to a 9-9 draw, but the Royals took 76 points to the Cougars' 70 and won the match."Ventura's one and two doubles teams were very aggressive serving and returning and we struggled a bit to match their aggression," head coach Jarrod Bradley said. "Ultimately, we found just enough to get it done."Petar Jivkov continued his dominant season and swept his opponents again. Jivkov is a combine 27-0 in his games this season.San Marcos (7-2 … [Read more...]

Jivkov extends win streak to 21 in San Marcos defeat

Petar Jivkov is now undefeated in his last 21 sets, but the San Marcos boys tennis team lost 14-4 at home to Valencia on Thursday."I'm really excited that Petar is beginning to play better defense and serve with aggression," head coach Jarrod Bradley said. "He's always been an aggressive player but his ability to win points with defense has been impressive this season."Jivkov swept his sets, but Valencia dominated the doubles matches, winning all nine.The Royals (5-3) will continue … [Read more...]

Jivkov stays undefeated as Royals move past Camarillo

The San Marcos High boys tennis team defeated Camarillo 12-6 on Wednesday as the team's top singles player, Petar Jivkov, swept his sets to remain undefeated on the season.Jivkov was tested in the match and faced a 5-2 deficit in his first game. He fought his way out of the hole to win 7-6."Petar battled valiantly today and was a model of mental acuity in a very competitive match," head coach Jarrod Bradley said. "The difference in the match was Petar's ability to hit big shots in the … [Read more...]

San Marcos doubles go undefeated in Channel League opener

The San Marcos boys tennis team received a flawless effort from its doubles teams and defeated Buena 16-2 on the road in its first game against Channel League competition."I thought all of our doubles teams played smart today," head coach Jarrod Bradley said. We practiced playing in the wind and today we executed our shots well and continually finished off easy points at the net."In the singles, Petar Jivkov swept his sets and has yet to drop a game this season.Owen Lincoln … [Read more...]

San Marcos loses season debut by tie-breaker

The San Marcos boys tennis team played San Luis Obispo to a 9-9 stalemate at home, but the visitors won 75 games compared to the Royals 70.San Marcos got off to a slow start and faced a 4-2 deficit after the first six sets."Our doubles came out tentative in the first round, but we really caught fire the second and third rounds to bring the match back to an even score," head coach Jarrod Bradley said. "I'm glad we became assertive and confident in our returns and net play."Junior … [Read more...]

Royals’ home-court performance downs Dons

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San Marcos fended off a late charge by Santa Barbara on Friday night and channeled the energy of a big-time performance from its home crowd to claim a 48-40 victory.The Royals took the lead for good in the second quarter and built a 12-point cushion in the fourth quarter. Then Santa Barbara made its push and worked its deficit down to 37-33.The San Marcos student section continued its performance of choreographed dances, chants and cheers.San Marcos preserved its advantage by … [Read more...]

Dons, Royals go down to wire for second time

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[CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO] Just when Wednesday's Channel League clash between rivals Santa Barbara and San Marcos looked as though it wouldn't match the drama as their previous game, the Royals staged a ferocious comeback in the fourth quarter only to fall 40-38 in JR Richards Gymnasium.The Royals trailed by 17 in the third quarter before starting to shave off points all the way into the final minute. The curtain finally fell when Kevin Hempy missed the front end of a 1-and-1 situation with … [Read more...]

Becerra, Lund receive special recognition at SBART luncheon

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Monday's Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon was the first of 2012, and a host of coaches, athletes, and community members dropped by Harry's Plaza Cafe to share how they're doing in the new year.Twenty teams were represented in total, with each giving a report on their team's seasons. San Marcos High School was recognized with several awards before the coaches' reports, as Jordan Lund, Tony Becerra, and Sam Strong received special awards. Dos Pueblos' Jessica Escalante was … [Read more...]

San Marcos scorched by Leuzinger outside shooting

The San Marcos boys basketball team was unable to keep up with Leuzinger’s perimeter players, and allowed 11 three-pointers in a 60-37 loss at the Santa Barbara Holiday Classic.San Marcos lost its previous two games in the tournament to Clovis West and Ocean View, and played without starter Chad Ridenour.“You’re talking about a senior who’s played three years on varsity. He’s our best perimeter defender, one of our best shooters, and probably our best ball-handler too,” head … [Read more...]