Broncos remain standing, headed to CIF Division I Championship

Derek Yao finishes off his opponent to complete the 6-0 sweep over San Luis Obispo. PHOTO BY NUGESSE GHEBRENDRIAS/THE CLOVIS ROUNDUP

The boys tennis team at Clovis North has been dominant all season long.

After running through the Tri-River Athletic Conference with an unblemished 11-0 record, the Broncos continued that run in the CIF Division I playoffs.

Coming off a first-round bye, the Broncos opened their account with a 9-0 sweep over the Clovis Cougars in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, before beating the San Luis Obispo Tigers 6-0 on Thursday.

The Broncos now await the team final against No. 2 seed Arroyo Grande on Tuesday at home. Arroyo Grande beat the Clovis West Golden Eagles 9-0 on Thursday.

“I was telling the guys, yes we won 6-0, but the overall score wasn’t indicative of what transpired,” Clovis North head coach Bryan Juinio said. “That was a good team and home-court advantage was huge. I’m sure if we played over there, they would have benefited from the crowd as well.”

Despite the adversity all season, the Broncos have been able to overcome time and time again. It isn’t luck, but the work the team has put in all season has been the key to performing at a high level.

“I think it’s just the hard work they out in. I took over for another coach and I inherited a really good team. I just keep them motivated and especially with the new coastal schools coming in, it’s a challenge for us and a challenge that we want because we want to beat the best teams.”

The CIF Central Section Boys Valley Individual Tennis Tournament will be at Immanuel High on Friday May 3 and Saturday May 4.

For the past three years, Nugesse has been a vital part of the Madera Tribune covering sports, news, entertainment and feature writing. Nugesse’s ability to interact with the community allows him to promote students, athletes and community members with fairness and objectivity. We are happy to have Nugesse join our team here at the Clovis Roundup.