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It is the tiebreaker and junior singles player Alex Zhu is the last player standing as the Cardinals look on with their breaths held in anticipation. He waits with patience, measuring his shots to prevent mistakes, and with his last swing leaves his opponent’s jaw dropped in astonishment when the ball slips past to give the Cardinals a victory over Branson High on April 13.
The Cardinals were 4-1 in the AAA, with one game against Lincoln on Wednesday as of press time. They have pushed through the season together, focusing on their weaknesses to improve their game. “We’ve played really tough teams and gotten worked over by some, but it’s thickened our skin,” coach Jimmy Rosenheim said.
The Cardinals have pulled off a winning streak starting with a close 4-3 match against Branson High on April 13 and two shut-out victories against Wallenberg on April 14 and Burton on April 20. “The win against Branson was a big confidence boost for the team,” Rosenheim said.
The Cardinals may dominate in the AAA, but they still have to defeat private schools and other schools outside of San Francisco to truly become champions. The average team in the league consists of 10 players, so for an enormous 36-player Cardinal team, Rosenheim set up 20 non-league games for the Cardinals to play. “When you have a team of 36 players in an individual sport, you try to be fair to all players,” Rosenheim said.
While Rosenheim tries to put forth the strongest team, he also tries to cultivate a strong bond among the boys. “It’s been my goal to foster independence and self-reliance among each team member, but also make room for each player to help each other,” Rosenheim said.
Rosenheim also had the boys go to the YMCA for aerobics, yoga and footwork drills on the court with professionals. “I try to be creative and to eliminate monotony by doing something new each week,” Rosenheim said. “This week I wanted the team to get a different perspective from professionals and add another element to their physical training.”
Before the boys hit the playoffs, they have to face their opponents at University High and Lincoln High. “The two teams are big matches,” Rosenheim said. “They’re tough and it will be a close fight.”
Come support the Cardinals at 3:30 p.m. today at the school’s tennis courts as they play University, their last game before playoffs.
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