By Travis Wu
The Fountain Valley High School Barons played against the Huntington Beach High School Oilers on Thursday, losing the game with a final score of 6-12. This was the Barons’ first league game of the season.
The games began with an intense doubles showdown, as senior captain Vincent Nguyen and freshman Sho Takishima set the tone with a dominant start. The duo stormed to a 4-0 lead in their first match before the Oilers mounted a comeback, forcing a 5-5 tiebreaker. However, Nguyen’s agility and Takishima’s aggressive net play secured a hard-fought 7-5 victory.
“I think Sho and I did pretty well; his huge serves contributed a lot to our win in the first match,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen’s strong performance continued throughout the day, as his endurance and quick reflexes made him a key player for the Barons.
In the singles lineup, junior Eric Tran delivered an impressive first-round victory, using his powerful groundstrokes to claim a 6-4 win. However, the rest of the Barons struggled to gain momentum. Freshman Tri Le and junior Fares Kamel both battled hard but fell just short, with scores of 4-6 and 3-6, respectively.
The other doubles teams faced similar challenges, with Nguyen and Takishima securing the only win of the first round. The Barons’ second and third doubles teams suffered 1-6 and 2-6 losses, respectively.
Nguyen and Takishima carried their momentum into the second round, earning a 6-4 victory over Huntington Beach’s No. 2 doubles team. Takishima continued to dominate with powerful serves, while Nguyen’s precise shot placement kept the Oilers on their heels.
The Barons’ No. 3 doubles team, featuring juniors Dylan Nguyen and Kai Takishima, looked to bounce back in their second-round matchup against Huntington Beach’s top doubles pair. Despite giving it their all, they fell 6-1.
“Going into the matches, the plan was just to play consistently and set up my partner at the net,” Dylan Nguyen said. “They were solid all-around, with strong serves and great volleys. I had a hard time playing around them.”
Le stepped up in the second round of singles, delivering a flawless 6-0 victory. However, Tran and Kamel were unable to overcome their opponents, losing 4-6 and 0-6 respectively.
Heading into the final round, Fountain Valley trailed 7-5 but remained determined. Le continued his dominant play, securing another win in singles, but the Oilers took control of the final stretch. The Barons suffered tough losses across both the singles and doubles categories, sealing Huntington Beach’s victory.
Despite the loss, the Barons are taking this match as a learning experience as they prepare for their next challenge. Nguyen and Dylan Nguyen both outlined their plans to improve before the team’s next matchup.
“I think the plan for the next match is to eat big so I can play big,” Nguyen said.
“Lots and lots of cardio,” Dylan Nguyen said.
Fountain Valley will look to bounce back in their next match against Newport Harbor on Thursday at 3 p.m.
“We already played [Newport Harbor] once this season, but came up a little short. I think this time we can definitely secure the win,” Nguyen said.
