MorganHillTimes.com | Proving ground

May 9, 2008
By Scott Adams - Sports Editor





		The Sobrato trio of Jarom Warren, left, Zach Thomas, center, and Randy Pinkston began play at the Blossom Valley Athletic League Singles/Doubles Tournament on Thursday.
		Photo by: Lora Schraft

If Cinderella had a place in high school tennis tournaments, this would be her entourage:

Jarom Warren, the senior who never played a competitive tennis match before this season. Randy Pinkston, one of Northern California's best kept secrets. And Zach Thomas, the 5-foot freshman who's as resourceful and competitive as they come.

Together they'll represent Sobrato at this week's Blossom Valley Athletic League Singles/Doubles Tournament - Pinkston a single, Warren and Thomas a doubles tandem.

Coming from a suburban public school, you could count them as dark horses - just don't count them out. The trio took the Bulldogs' bite out of the BVAL this year, leading Sobrato to a perfect 14-0 season - complete with an outright West Valley Division championship, the program's first. What's more, each player reached the title match in their respective division tournaments last month.

Success this week almost seems excess or, as Pinkston put it bluntly, "icing on the cake."

"It's already been a lot of fun," the reigning West Valley Division singles champion added. "We're just looking to have more of it."

What would a championship team be without its poster players? Pinkston fits the bill for Sobrato with his overpowering serve, flawless form and professional courtesy. The lanky sophomore is ranked in the top 100 of USTA NorCal and was nearly unbeatable this year, finishing the regular season at 12-2.

"He's our No. 1 single for a reason," said Bulldogs' coach Randy Barbaglia. "He's very serious about his tennis. He takes winning and losing to heart.

"This week he'll get to push himself to the limits."

The entire team will do the same in 2009 when Sobrato moves up to the Santa Teresa 'B' Division. Pinkston expects tougher opponents, some of which he'll face this week at Mount Pleasant High School - site of the tournament.

"It's like a badge of honor to take this team to the next level," he said. "We get a chance to show what were made of this week; show what we can do against the best guys in league."

Barbaglia doesn't know what to expect from his top single at the BVAL Tournament - which started Thursday - but Pinkston does, and he's keeping it simple.

"I expect to do my best," he said.

- - -

When his prep basketball career ended in February, Warren decided to try his hand at tennis, a sport he had only played with friends and family. Barbaglia made his first interview with the 6-foot-5 walk-on brief.

"I asked him if he could play tennis, and I asked him if he had athletic ability," Barbaglia recalled.

Less than a month later, Barbaglia had Warren working with Thomas, a five-year veteran of the sport. As polar opposites in size, the two looked more like a stand-up routine than a doubles pair. Their teamwork, though, was what caught Barbaglia's eye.

"From playing doubles myself," Barbaglia began. "I could see the chemistry was just right. It's amazing - this type of combination does work!"

The results said the same. As the Bulldogs' top pair, Warren and Thomas went 13-0 in dual-match play, combining skill and attitude on the court.

"We play with consistency - it's just there for us," Warren said. "We have a lot of fun playing together. For me, it's been almost more fun than basketball."

Added Thomas: "We feed off each other, I think. We play with a lot of emotion and a lot of heart."

The two faced their biggest test in their first match together against Andrew Hill. Warren and Thomas dropped their first set but recovered quickly for the win.

"We came together right there," Thomas said. "We kept our composure. It was a turning point sort of."

The tandem didn't lose a dual-match game until last week, when Harker ousted Sobrato in the first round of the CIF-Central Coast Section playoffs. Warren and Thomas lost to Harrison Schwartz and Scott Liao in the longest match of the day, 6-3, 7-5.

"It was hard because we were a better team - at least I thought so," Warren said. "When we're at our best, we can play with just about anyone. We didn't that game."

Both players said their confidence has returned since the loss. Like Pinkston, they hope to make a statement for the program this week.

"We want to show everyone how good we are," Thomas said. "Winning the division was fun, but people still don't think we're that good because it was the 'C' Division. We want to prove them wrong."

They got their first chance in the opening round - a showdown with the No. 1 seed. Breaking down the matchup Wednesday, Warren and Thomas didn't show any nerves.

"If there's one team that's capable of pulling off an upset and stirring things up, it's us," Warren said.

Added Thomas: "Anything is possible in this game. We know that going in."

Pinkston and Warren-Thomas can qualify for the CIF-CCS Tournament if they reach the respective singles and doubles championship games at BVALs.

Scott Adams
Scott Adams covers Morgan Hill sports for South Valley Newspapers. Send him an email or call him at 779-4106.