By Pete Borello

Prep Girls Tennis Report

This was not the way Lynn Horiye wanted to finish his first season as head coach of the St. Francis High girls tennis team.

The second-seeded Lancers were bounced from the Central Coast Section playoffs in surprising fashion last Friday, falling to No. 7 Palo Alto 5-2 at Cuesta Park.

“I’m kind of down from that,” Horiye said. “It was a disappointing end to the season because we should have at least made it to the finals.”

St. Francis entered the match with a 17-0 record that included two wins over Paly.

“Usually, no matter what, we beat them in singles and they beat us in doubles,” Horiye said.

But this time, the coach didn’t play his regular singles lineup.

“One of the girls showed up late and I didn’t use her, and I had to move everyone up one,” he said. “Unfortunately, it worked out this way, but things happen in life. That’s the way things go.”

The Lancers’ two wins came at No. 1 and 2 singles. Top player Stephanie Schnitter beat Paly’s Megan Martin 6-1, 7-5, while Megan Kawahara won her match 7-5, 6-4.

Host St. Francis lost two three-set matches during the afternoon.

The Lancers, who earned a bye in the opening round, cruised past Robert Louis Stevenson 7-0 Nov. 7 in second-round action. Unseeded Stevenson (13-8) won only one set against the host Lancers.

Schnitter, a sophomore, won her match 6-3, 7-6.

Homestead ousted

Homestead made an early exit from the playoffs, falling to visiting Mills in opening-round action Nov. 7.

The eighth-seeded Mustangs (15-3), champions of the SCVAL El Camino Division, dropped a 5-2 decision to unseeded Mills (13-2).