At a faculty with the wealthy athletic custom of Santa Ana Mater Dei, it’s uncommon to be the primary to attain something, however Matteo Huarte made historical past Saturday by changing into the Monarchs’ solely CIF singles champion on the Ojai Valley Tennis Event.
After shedding in straight units to Rishvanth Krishna from Irvine College in final yr’s closing, Huarte was not about to squander his second likelihood. He raced to an early lead within the first-set tiebreaker, then broke to open the second set on his strategy to a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory over Woodbridge’s Brayden Tallakson in entrance of a packed grandstand at Libbey Park.
Huarte had 4 service breaks — the final being a cross-court passing shot on match level. The ultimate resembled Huarte’s semifinal win versus Irvine College’s JiHyuk Im through which he took the first-set tiebreaker 7-4 then cruised 6-2 within the second set.
“I’m blissful I used to be capable of do it for my college,” mentioned Huarte, a junior who has dedicated to USC. “We’ve performed one another a pair occasions and the important thing was to handle his serve and get into the rally. As soon as I acquired forward of him within the tiebreak after which received the primary sport of the second set I used to be capable of run away with it.”
Mater Dei’s solely different title within the Ojai event’s lengthy and storied historical past got here in doubles in 2008 when Charlie Alvarado and Chris Freeman upset top-seeded Tyler Bowman and Jon Kazarian of Peninsula in three units.
“It’s form of onerous to consider I’m the primary to do it,” mentioned Huarte about his singles title.
Final yr, Huarte fell within the Southern Part semifinals to Palos Verdes ninth-grader Andrew Johnson, who went on to beat Tallakson 6-4, 6-3 within the closing.
Tallakson was making an attempt to make historical past of his personal Saturday at a venue close to and pricey to his coronary heart.
Woodbridge’s Brayden Tallakson celebrates after his quarterfinal victory over Beckman’s Rohan Grewal on the Ojai Valley Tennis Event on Saturday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Instances)
“I began enjoying tennis down in decrease Libbey, my dad Steve grew up right here and received the boys’s event, so this place is like residence for my household,” mentioned Tallakson, who shortly downed Palisades freshman Kensho Ford 6-2, 6-1 within the semifinals. “Matteo got here out actual aggressive, I made a pair errors on large factors and he was simply the higher participant as we speak.”
Tallakson received the boys’ 14s division at Ojai in 2022 and had he prevailed Saturday, he would have been the primary participant to seize CIF singles and doubles titles at Ojai since Santa Barbara’s Nathan Jackmon received the doubles in 1993 and the singles in 1994. Tallakson received the doubles crown in 2023 with older brother Avery, with whom he’ll reunite subsequent yr at Boise State.
Peninsula seniors Colin Bringas and Edward Feuer accomplished probably the most dominant runs by the doubles draw ever seen at Ojai by beating Harvard-Westlake’s Aaron Chung and Chase Klugo 6-4, 6-2 within the finals. The Panthers’ duo didn’t drop a set in six matches and didn’t quit greater than three video games in a set till the primary set Saturday once they broke within the ninth sport to go up 5-4 after which served it out.
Bringas and Feuer are the primary Peninsula pair to achieve the CIF closing at Ojai since 2011 and the third tandem in historical past to win it, becoming a member of Rylan Rizza and Jeff Kazarian in 2001, and Kazarian and Tiege Sullivan the next yr.
Peninsula seniors Colin Bringas, left, and Edward Feuer have a good time after successful the CIF boys’ doubles title on the Ojai Valley Tennis Event on Saturday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Instances)
“We’ve been enjoying collectively since second or third grade and we’ve been finest pals since center college at Ridgecrest Intermediate [in Palos Verdes],” Bringas mentioned. “I at all times play the advert facet, he’s at all times performed the deuce court docket. I believe the important thing was large serves … they make it straightforward for the web particular person to place balls away.”
Bringas and Feuer have partnered at Ojai the final three years, shedding within the quarterfinal spherical as sophomores and juniors however steamrolling this yr. They made a measly three unforced errors in a 6-1, 6-1 semifinal wipeout of Marina’s David Tran and Alejandro Hill. Tran was enjoying in his second straight closing, having taken the runner-up prize with Trevor Nguyen in 2025.
“We have been assured we’d win, however we felt the strain and knew there are loads of good groups right here,” mentioned Feuer, who performs No. 1 singles for twin matches whereas Bringas performs the No. 1 doubles spot with one other teammate. “It’ll be actually unusual enjoying in opposition to one another subsequent yr.”
Bringas is certain for Westmont School and Feuer is headed to Level Loma Nazarene — rival NCAA Division II packages within the Pacific West Convention.
Harvard-Westlake, Woodbridge and College shared the Griggs Cup trophy, offered to the varsity with probably the most mixed wins in singles and doubles. All three notched seven victories to pressure a three-way tie for under the fifth time for the reason that award debuted in 1955 and the primary since Santa Barbara, Palisades and Fresno Bullard have been tri-champions in 1997. College has received it 13 occasions.