LA CRESCENTA — The match was clinched, but the celebration was hushed.
Tom Gossard was as giddy as the longtime Crescenta Valley High girls’ tennis coach could be, but just as he’d told his players to do, he kept quiet.
After all, there’s still a long season left and he didn’t want Arcadia to have anything to get fired up about for the rematch.
Nonetheless, there was reason enough for the Falcons to be excited after defeating the archrival Apaches, 11-5, on a hot Thursday afternoon at Crescenta Valley in both teams’ Pacific League opener.
“It feels good,” said Gossard, whose team snapped Arcadia’s 33-match league winning streak.
It was Crescenta Valley’s first win against Arcadia, the three-time defending league titlist, since Oct. 21, 2003 — which was also the last year Crescenta Valley won a league title.
In the squads’ following match on Sept. 30, 2004, Arcadia won and snapped Crescenta Valley’s 50-match league win streak.
Now, the Falcons (2-1, 1-0 in league) have won five consecutive league contests and find themselves in the driver’s seat as far as first place is concerned.
“It just shows us how good we are, it gives us more confidence,” said Falcons junior Anna Kim, who teamed up with senior Tiffany Man for a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 sweep.
Their final set win, against Arcadia’s No. 1 team, clinched the match.
It was Crescenta Valley’s ninth set win, but Falcons freshman singles player Erin Le Voir had already won five games in the set she was playing. Hence, had the match gone to a 9-9 tie, Crescenta Valley had clinched a victory on games.
As it was, both coaches agreed not to play the final two singles sets of the day after the Falcons clinched it, leading to the 11-5 final.
While the match was shortened by two sets, it was a long time coming for Gossard and Co. after losing six straight times to Arcadia, which is currently 3-1.
“This is the first time we matched [up to them] physically,” Gossard said. “We matched them competitively, too.”
With the match tied at 5, Crescenta Valley won its final six sets.
In doubles, the Falcons took seven of nine sets, while winning four of seven in singles.
Seniors Debbie Prasertsit and Carole Kim won two sets 6-1, 6-2, while junior Stephanie Chung and sophomore Ani Ebrahimian teammed up for 6-3 and 6-1 wins.
LeVoir won two sets in singles, 6-4, 6-1, while fellow freshman Sarah Ali and junior Lindsay Walter each won once.
“This is really a new team,” Gossard said. “When you have three brand new singles [starters] and they competed the way they did, you can’t ask for any more.”
A league title is certainly what they’re shooting for, though.
And now the Falcons, who play at Arcadia on Oct. 9, have renewed confidence — they’re just making sure it’s not overconfidence.
“It felt like a turning point,” Man said of Thursday. “I have confidence to win more — we can’t be overly confident though.”
