High school roundup: Laguna Beach qualifies for CIF boys’ tennis final

The Laguna Beach High boys’ tennis team rallied to defeat host Santa Ynez 9-9 (76-75 on games) in a CIF Southern Section Division 4 semifinal playoff match on Wednesday.

Mason Lebby swept his three sets, including a 7-5 win in the final round against Santa Ynez’s top player Kyle Wilczak, to help the No. 4-seeded Breakers (15-5) reach the final.

Laguna Beach will play Redlands East Valley (20-4), a 12-6 winner over Bolsa Grande, in the Division 4 title match Friday at 2:30 p.m. at The Claremont Club.

Laguna Beach was down 7-5 after two rounds at Santa Ynez before rallying for the win.

“I reminded the kids of our mantra, ‘Pressure is a privilege,’” Laguna Beach coach Rick Conkey said in a text message. “I told them it’s the more aggressive team that usually wins close matches, and they really did just that. They stepped it up and delivered when it counted the most.”

Andrew Johnson won two of three singles sets for the Breakers, while Kyle Herkins and Francis Pillsbury won two of three doubles sets.

Laguna Beach is in the Division 4 final for the third time in four years. The Breakers lost to Redlands in both the 2015 and 2016 final.

Twitter: @DailyPilotSport

To report scores or newsworthy items, contact the sports staff listed below:

David Carrillo Peñaloza, Sports Editor

(714) 966-4612, [email protected]

Twitter: @ByDCP

Fall: football, girls’ golf

Winter: boys’ basketball, boys’ soccer

Spring: baseball, boys’ golf

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Matt Szabo, Sports Reporter

(714) 966-4614, [email protected]

Twitter: @mjszabo

Fall: boys’ water polo, girls’ tennis

Winter: girls’ soccer, girls’ water polo

Spring: boys’ tennis, swimming, lacrosse

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Andrew Turner, Sports Reporter

(714) 966-4611, [email protected]

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner

Fall: girls’ volleyball, cross-country, field hockey

Winter: girls’ basketball, wrestling

Spring: boys’ volleyball, track and field, softball