From Staff Reports
Championship aspirations: Tom Gossard doesn't want his Crescenta
Valley High girls' tennis team to sell itself short, so the
ninth-year coach passed out a flier Tuesday at the Pacific League
preliminaries that informed his squad of his plans for the remainder
of the season.
At the top, it said "Lady Falcon Tennis -- Pacific League
Champions 10-0 and 17-1," but what Gossard wrote underneath was
perhaps the greatest source of motivation for his athletes.
"Five more wins ... and we start Nov. 13."
By winning its fifth straight league title, CV assured itself a
home match when the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs begin.
But Gossard is looking at the big picture, which he is hoping
includes a trip to the Claremont Club for the Nov. 24 division title
match.
In order to capture the first championship in the program's
history, the No. 3-ranked Falcons -- who reached the quarterfinals
last year -- would need to win five matches. CV enters the postseason
riding a 15-match winning streak.
Can't get any closer: Glendale High girls' tennis Coach Bob
Davidson had mixed emotions after the Nitros fell to Arcadia on Oct.
30 in a Pacific League home match.
Arcadia and Glendale batted to a 9-9 tie, but Arcadia won on
games, 80-66. The Apaches handed the Nitros a 12-6 setback on Oct. 14
at Arcadia.
Davidson felt the sting from the defeat, but he quickly applied
praise for the Nitros coming close to pulling off a large upset.
"It's always disappointing when you lose a close match," Davidson
said. "But to make it this close was a big accomplishment because
Arcadia is clearly the favorite on paper.
"We played Arcadia tough twice this season, and this was our best
effort of the season."
