Benjamin Brown

Carlmont junior Nico Cruz warms up his serves before the beginning of the match. Cruz made great plays along the baseline during the game and capitalized on easy points. “We tend to bring a lot of energy onto the courts, and it shows when we win,” Cruz said.

Carlmont’s varsity boys tennis defeated the Woodside Wildcats with a score of 5-2 at Carlmont High School on Thursday, March 7. The Scots played fast and displayed some of their best athleticism of the season.

“Our goal was to come in and bounce off our loss against San Mateo in our previous match, and we did just that. We played our games and executed well,” said coach Thomas Resnick.

The Wildcats and the Scots played three doubles and four singles matches in close games. The first matches that finished gave the Scots an advantage, with their doubles teams defeating their matchups. Carlmont juniors Nico Cruz and Ethan Roth finished their doubles match first, winning 6-1 in both the first and second sets.

It was Cruz and Roth’s first time playing doubles with each other this season. Despite some mistakes, they are happy with the way they played.

“Our team coordination went well. Even though it was our first time playing, we did a good job getting our volleys down,” Cruz said.

Carlmont senior Jayden Chow won his singles match with scores of 6-2 and 6-0. Chow used his power and kept his composure after losing close points.

“I was able to move my opponent around a lot. I used my power to figure out his weaknesses and continued to pinpoint those for the rest of the match,” Chow said.

The Scots didn’t win with ease. Conrad Hsu, Carlmont’s No. 1 player, lost in a close matchup against Owen Demas from Woodside. Despite Hsu’s frustration, Resnick continues to remind the Scots to focus on the mental side of the game.

“I try to get them to take a step back from the game and analyze what went good and wrong,” Resnick said.

With Carlmont’s previous game getting postponed because of the rain, it was a relief for players that the courts were dry and in good condition.

“It was a beautiful day for tennis. I think our players enjoyed the weather,” Resnick said.

The Scots, now with a 2-2 record this season, look forward to every match, a mindset that Resnick instills in his players.

“As a team, we are excited for every match. Every match brings out a new competitive spirit,” Cruz said.

With two wins under their belt, the Scots will continue to play hard and build team chemistry.

“It’s only the start of the season, but there is a lot of excitement,” Resnick said.