Playoffs at a Glance : SOUTHERN SECTION TEAM TENNIS DIVISION I FINAL

Today’s schedule: Santa Barbara (24-0) vs. Dana Hills (23-0), Knowlwood Tennis Club, Montecito, 3:15 p.m.

* Defending champion: Santa Barbara.

* Outlook: Dana Hills Coach John Stephens is trying to put the best spin on his team’s chances against seven-time defending champion Santa Barbara, which had its closest playoff match in the first round, a 16 1/3-4 2/3 victory over Westlake Village Westlake.

“We’re going to be able to go up there relaxed,” Stephens said. “The kids know they’re going to go up there and have some fun. The pressure’s on them. We’ll just see if we can surprise them.”

But from hearing Santa Barbara’s players talk, it doesn’t sound as if they’re taking Dana Hills lightly.

“We’re pretty confident against this team, but we’re not going to underestimate them,” Santa Barbara’s Ian Carrera said. “Even though we’ve won seven times in a row, you have to play it like you’ve never won it before.”

Carrera and Jimmy Walker, who lost in the section individual quarterfinals last weekend, said they are expecting Stephens to do some fiddling with the lineup.

“It seems like their singles are sort of weak, so they’ll probably go for the doubles,” Walker said.

Said Carrera: “They’ll probably stack their doubles. They probably think they have a shot at us now since we lost (in the section individuals).”

But according to Stephens, he won’t do much with his lineup.

“There’s nothing I can do now,” he said. “I pretty much just have to go with what I have.”

What he has is a pretty deep and talented high school tennis team, but is it good enough to beat the likes of Walker, Carrera and Nathan Jackmon, the Ojai singles champion and section semifinalist? Probably not, but the score might be closer than people think.