NEWPORT HARBOR – It ranks as one the most trying moments in Jamie Gresh’s coaching career, standing in front of 15 sets of misty eyes just moments after a potential trip to a CIF-SS championship was denied when the math concluded Corona del Mar had lost the tiebreaker by four games in a 9-9 match.
It was in that moment of solace, Gresh found his silver lining.
“The tears after that match was validation to me that things are going in the right direction in terms of how I’m coaching this team,” he said of the loss to Harvard-Westlake of Studio City in the Division 1 semifinals. “If they didn’t care or they weren’t bummed out, I wouldn’t think they’re as into it as I am.”
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ALL-COUNTY GIRLS TENNIS
- All-County: First-team selections
- Co-players of the year: Corona del Mar’s Jasie Dunk and Danielle Willson
- Coach of the year: Corona del Mar’s Jamie Gresh
- All-County: Second team
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The Sea Kings’ passion was certainly evident, as was their high level of play throughout the season. CdM finished with a 22-1 record, went 10-0 in the Pacific Coast League for a second straight year, spent time atop the state rankings for several weeks and made semifinal appearances in the CIF Regional and Southern Section playoffs.
For his efforts while leading the Sea Kings to such a campaign, Gresh has been named the Register’s Orange County girls tennis coach of the year.
“This is based on the 15 girls we had,” Gresh said. “Without those 15 girls, none of this is possible.”
CdM opened the season with a resounding win over the three-time defending CIF champ, Peninsula, which had won 73 of its previous 74 matches. The Sea Kings maintained that momentum through the regular season, finishing 11-0 against teams ranked in the county’s final top 10 poll.
Gresh and Co. knocked off University, Northwood and Dana Hills – the No. 2, 3 and 4 ranked squads – twice each, and advanced to the semifinals of the Division 1 playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
In his second year as the school’s girls coach, Gresh has compiled a 20-0 record in what is arguably the best league in the state, winning every match by at least an 11-7 margin.
While CdM will lose nine seniors from this year’s talented squad, Gresh’s expectations for the team will remain the same next fall.
“We’re going in the right direction,” he said. “The better your team does, the more kids in seventh and eighth grade will say, ‘OK, I want to be on a team,’ rather than go the home-school route.
“Our results the last few years has set it up where more kids will want to come through the door and be apart of a high school program that’s very prestigious, where they can get a lot out of their tennis in a short period of time.”
Contact the writer: kconnolly@scng.com
