Only one Orange County school has a girls tennis team ranked No. 1 in its CIF division.
The school is not a private school or a beach school. It’s not south of the El Toro “Y” nor is it in the county’s northeast hills.
Orange is No. 1 in Division 5 girls tennis.
The Panthers are 16-1 overall and 10-0 in the Golden West League after Thursday’s league win over Segerstrom. They have clinched their fifth consecutive league championship.
The team’s strength is its depth.
“Everyone wins,” said Orange coach Michael Wenkart, in his 11th season coaching at the school. “We’re solid throughout the lineup.”
Viviana Cortez and Janae Franco form a doubles team that has lost only three sets. Wenkart called Franco “a monster at the net.”
Quyen Huynh is the Panthers’ top singles player. She has lost only one set in league. Briana Reyes fought off tennis elbow to contribute as the team’s No. 2 singles player.
As usual, Orange County is strong in girls tennis this year. Even in places one might not expect it.
Taking a look around Orange County high school sports:
• Five of the teams in the CIF-SS girls tennis Division 1 top 10 are county teams: No. 2 University, No. 5 Los Alamitos, No. 6 Corona del Mar, No. 7 Santa Margarita and No. 10 San Clemente. Peninsula of Palos Verdes Estates, historically great in the sport, is No. 1.
• Three county girls volleyball teams are No. 1 in their CIF-SS divisions: Aliso Niguel in Division 1A, Sage Hill in 3AA and Saddleback Valley Christian in 3A.
• Saddleback Valley Christian’s girls volleyball team has been challenged by a tough schedule and has thrived. The Warriors played in the Durango Fall Classic, a prestigious tournament in Las Vegas, and won their division. According to Coach Carmen Stratton, the team’s top players include Heidi and Lily Dyer, Jaelyn Greene, Shannon Geraty and Sydnee Martin.
• Four county teams are in the Division 1AA girls volleyball top 10: No. 3 Mater Dei, No. 4 Corona del Mar, No. 7 Santa Margarita and No. 10 Huntington Beach.
• Brethren Christian quarterback Conner Miller is closing in on the county single-season record for touchdown passes. Conner Manning threw 41 touchdown passes in his junior year, 2011, and in his senior year at El Toro. Miller has 35 touchdown passes.
• Going into this week, the county’s only two undefeated football teams were St. Margaret’s and Saddleback Valley Christian, both at 7-0.
• St. Michael’s Prep is the only county school that plays 8-man football. The Pioneers, 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the Express League, have a big league game today. They travel to Catalina to play Avalon, which is 6-0 overall and 2-0 in league.
• The CIF-Southern Section Hall of Fame and Distinguished Service awards presentations Thursday included several who have been at county schools: Tom Caffrey, football coach at Whittier Christian and Fairmont Prep; Ray Clifton, football and baseball coach and athletic director at Liberty Christian; Jack Hedges, cross country and track coach at Westminster; Karen Hellyer, who coached basketball, softball and field hockey at University and became a CIF administrator; Terry Henigan, football coach at Irvine, mostly; and Bob Lester, football coach at El Modena.
• Caffrey coached Whittier Christian to three CIF football championships and a CIF baseball championship. He is among the few who have coached teams to CIF titles in two or more sports.
• A boys sand volleyball league recently completed its sixth week. Going into this week, Huntington Beach, at 5-1, was in first place in the North Division. Laguna Beach and Newport Harbor were tied for first in the South at 5-1 each.
• This freshman football score from a couple of weeks ago caught the attention of every football coach in the Trinity League and south county: JSerra 30, St. John Bosco 0.
• There are so many good football programs, public and private, in south county. Imagine how crazy the youth football scene would be there if there was any sort of recruiting going on.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
