Stallions roll to Div. V title

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune

Madera South’s No. 1 singles player Kevin Franco holds up the Central Section Div. V Championship plaque surrounded by his team after Tuesday’s victory over Granite Hills. The victory completed an undefeated season for the Stallions.

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The Madera South Stallions boys tennis team wasted little time in dispensing the second-seeded Granite Hills Grizzlies to win its first-ever Central Section title. 

The Stallions boys tennis team was full of firsts this year under first-year head coach Nathan Melchor. Not only did the Stallions win their first Central Section title, they finished their first undefeated season (21-0), first North Yosemite League title, first singles champion (Kevin Franco) and first doubles champions (Leo Vasquez and Rylan Xiong)

“My first year has been pretty wild, and a dream. 21-0 is nothing more you can ask for,” Melchor said. “I will remember spending time with the team and making memories. Being here my first time as a head coach has been a blessing. I’m out of the shadows now, and I’m creating a name for myself in a program that I’m building here.”

“I’m so excited. After four years and two semifinal losses, finally we got it,” Franco said. “I’m really thankful for all of these guys. We have been working for so long. I’m proud of them. We went undefeated.”

Then, Melchor joined his brother, Mark with the Torres boys tennis team, as the first brother coaches to win a Central Section title in the same year for different teams. 

However, the focus was on the boys Tuesday morning in a match that was rescheduled to 10:30 a.m. from 4 p.m. because of the impending heat. 

The doubles teams started off the match. The No. 1 team of Franco and Alfredo Hernandez had little trouble defeating their opponents. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and closed out the match, 8-1. 

The No. 3 doubles team of Leo Vasquez and Kevin Rendon fell behind, 4-3, and 5-4. They rallied by winning the final three games for an 8-5 win. 

The No. 2 doubles team of Daniel Martinez and Edwinn Vasquez took a 3-2 lead. However, they lost four straight points, and eventually lost the match, 8-5.

With a 2-1 lead heading into doubles, Franco was confident his team would find three victories in the six singles matches. 

“I feel like our doubles are really strong this year,” Franco said. 

No. 1 singles, Franco, had an easy time. He won his first set, 6-0, and then won the second set, 6-2, to come off the court first. 

“With Kevin, and the rest of the boys, I told them their jobs. Kevin is the anchor, he’s my No. 1. He has to hold it down,” Melchor said. “He knows his job and we hold him to high expectations.”

After his win, Franco went to the next court over to root on No. 2, Martinez. He jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set, but lost three of the next four games. He still led, 4-3, and closed the set with two wins for a 6-3 win. He won the first three games of the second set and closed with three straight for a 6-1 win for Madera South’s fourth win. 

The Stallions needed just one win, and the focus moved to the far courts with No. 5 Emilio Ruiz and No. 6, Rylan Xiong. 

“I feel like we were motivating each other. I felt like, ‘Let’s go. Vamos,’” Franco said.

Ruiz won his first set by a 6-3 score. He led, 4-1, but lost two straight games before finishing the set with two wins. Xiong jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but lost two straight before winning three of the next four for a 6-3 lead. 

Ruiz finished out his opponent by winning the final five games while Xiong did the same. 

When the final point was put away, the Stallions were left in limbo to figure out if that was it. Both Xiong and Ruiz went to the net to shake their opponents’ hands at the same time to give the Stallions the wins they needed for the championship. 

“They all have jobs. I call my No. 5 and No. 6 my anchors. They have to hold down their points. If it’s not the 1 or 2, it’s the 5 and 6. That’s how tennis goes,” Melchor said. “They knew the pressure that’s on them, and they accomplished it really well.”

That set off the celebration for a Central Section title. No. 3 Alfredo Hernandez and No. 4 Leo Vasquez didn’t get a chance to finish their match, and celebrated with the team. 

“I’m truly blessed. I couldn’t have been here with out them. I appreciate them,” Melchor said.