At the beginning of the season, boys’ varsity tennis agreed on one word to describe their team: together.

“We have chosen the word ‘together.’ That’s our word,” head coach Doug Stone said in an interview after their first home game against Hillsdale High School. “I asked them, ‘How are we going to do this today?’ All of them will chant out together.”

After finishing their match, no boys’ tennis player ever leaves early. When Burlingame won against Menlo-Atherton High School on April 24, they celebrated their victory over dinner. On the bus ride to their first round of the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs on May 7, everyone sang their hearts out.

“This was my first season on the team, but I loved it,” junior Alex Bozinovic said. “… I think overall, the team was playing better because we were playing together.”

Alongside an unrivaled bond, the team earned a third-place finish in the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) Bay with a 9-3 league record. Even with a top-place finish, Stone said he and the players felt the season was incomplete. Though Burlingame had won against Aragon High School — the top team in the PAL — they had yet to beat Menlo-Atherton a single time.

But the Panthers’ season wasn’t over yet. Their strong performance qualified them for the PAL Team Tournament, which gives the winning team an automatic berth to CCS. According to Stone, this wasn’t just an opportunity to extend their season and compete against top regional teams — it was a chance to take revenge on Menlo-Atherton.

“It was about validation. It was the validation that we could beat M-A,” Stone said.

Panthers find success in PAL team tournament, qualify for CCS

Just a day after their regular season ended, the boys’ tennis team was called back on court to play the PAL Team Tournament on April 23. Before they could face Menlo-Atherton in the finals, they first needed to win against San Mateo High School.

Going into their match, the team felt confident. All they needed to do was repeat what they had done every other time they faced San Mateo this season: win.

The Panthers breezed by their perennial rival, 7-0. Even with a seemingly flawless scoreboard, the match tested Burlingame. Freshman No. 1 singles Kaden Lam’s match went long, but he secured a 2-6, 6-4, 10-3 comeback. The No. 1 doubles match followed a similar pattern, but juniors Kieran Kilgo and Jake Druskin also clinched with a 1-6, 7-5, 10-6 victory. The rest of the team stayed dominant with straight set wins.

Finally, on April 24, boys’ varsity tennis found themselves a rematch against Menlo-Atherton in the PAL Team Tournament finals. This time, Stone said they were confident they would win.

“We didn’t have to change much,” Stone said. “We knew we could beat them.”

And win they did. Burlingame ultimately swept their league finale, 6-1. According to Stone, the momentum had finally shifted in Burlingame’s favor — a complete reversal of their previous match against Menlo-Atherton.

“We weren’t coming from behind. We got out and we got ahead, and then we held the lead,” Stone said.

Seniors Spencer Phonsombat and Nick Moshkovoy earned a decisive 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles, sending a statement to Menlo-Atherton after two straight losses against the same opponent duo.

“It was personal because we had lost to them two times prior, and we knew we shouldn’t have lost,” Phonsombat said. “We knew what we could do, so it was just about proving to ourselves that we were the level that we were.”

Phonsombat and Moshkovoy weren’t the only ones who changed the narrative. Sophomore Caleb Chou gave a solid 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles, Lam clinched with a 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles, and Bozinovic won 4-6, 6-4, 10-6 at No. 3 singles. These victories, combined with three more straight-set victories across the scoreboard, gave the team its final revenge and qualified them for CCS.

“We blew them out,” Bozinovic said. “And that was one of the best feelings that we had as a team. We went to M-A and got the win. Symbolically, BHS versus M-A means a lot.”

Following their success in the PAL Team tournament, the team travelled to Santa Cruz for their first round CCS match against Soquel High School on Wednesday, May 7. The long drive didn’t shake away their energy, as Burlingame continued their winning momentum with a strong 5-2 victory.

Though the team would make a second-round CCS exit the following day, Bozinovic said he enjoyed playing a high level of tennis against the second-seeded team, Harker High School.

“That was the best match I played all season,” Bozinivic said. “… I played a tough opponent, but I was proud of that match. That’s the match that I was least disappointed about losing.”

Phonsombat and Moshkovoy excel in PAL Individual doubles’ tournament

Burlingame’s tennis players also found success in the PAL Individual Tournament starting on April 30. Phonsombat and Moshkovoy had standout results, placing second and qualifying for the CCS Individual tournament.

Seeded fifth in the tournament, Phonsombat and Moshkovoy were expected to go far. They breezed past their round one and round two matches with scores of 6-0, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-2, respectively, and in round three, defeated the fourth-seeded team 6-2, 6-4. Their semifinal matchup was more challenging, as they faced the number one-seeded doubles team in the tournament. Throughout the match, the Panther duo kept it close and ultimately defied expectations with their grueling 7-5, 3-6, 10-8 victory.

“That final point, and just hugging at the end, is a great memory,” Phonsombat said.

Though Phonsombat and Moshkovoy lost in the finals on May 2, they qualified for the CCS Individual tournament, starting on Wednesday, May 21. Phonsombat said he looks forward to the competition.

“I’m grateful to be part of something so successful, especially in my last year,” Phonsombat said. “Still possibly keeping going with Nick, so potentially more success.”

Players reflect on end of season

It’s almost the end of the season, and boys’ varsity tennis still lives by this oath of sticking “together.” Typically, the end of the season marks one of the last times the team will get together to play tennis. However, for this year’s squad, it’s different.

The four graduating seniors — Phonsombat, Moshkovoy, Donovan Ranta, and Talon Bajohr — will be sorely missed, but the team plans to stay connected through tennis.

“I am definitely going to keep playing tennis with them in the summer, [in] the future,” Phonsombat said. “That’s not going to stop. But I think I’m going to miss competing with them.”

Meanwhile, Bozinovic has high expectations for next season.

“This team is committed year-round to playing tennis,” Bozinovic said. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say we’ll win the league.”