Kennedy’s Ringing Victory Serves Notice to Baseball

STUDIO CITY — Kennedy High’s Eric Grindler wants to set the record straight.

Grindler, who helped the Golden Cougars capture the City Section 3-A tennis championship Thursday, said Kennedy has a warped image as a baseball school.

“There’s other teams at Kennedy,” Grindler said. “But the press doesn’t think so. The baseball team’s in the paper every day. It seems like every day there’s [pitcher] Jon Garland’s face, or [pitcher] Derek Morse’s.”

Kennedy’s headline-hogging baseball team is 24-3 and ranked No. 1 by The Times in the regional top 10, but the tennis team today is ordering its championship rings while Garland, Morse and company are awaiting the playoffs.

Kennedy (16-1) routed Van Nuys, 21 1/2-8, at the Racquet Centre. Kennedy took 14 of 16 singles sets, while the Wolves (15-2) pulled a mild surprise against an undefeated Cougar doubles contingent, winning four of nine sets.

But Grindler and Nick Murphy finished the season without a defeat at No. 1 doubles and clinched the match with 10 sets to play when they beat Archie Santos and John Florez, 7-5.

Norman Menjivar and Sonny Warda each swept four sets at Nos. 1 and 2 singles for the Golden Cougars.

“We’re the unsung heroes,” Murphy said. “But we knew we were going to be good.”

Granada Hills, Kennedy’s rival in the Northwest Valley Conference, suffered a 22-7 1/2 defeat to defending champion Palisades in the 4-A final. The Highlanders (13-2) took five of nine sets in doubles, but the Dolphins (14-2) won all 16 singles sets.

“I’m real glad we got here,” said James White, who with Jason Weisbrod won two sets at No. 1 doubles. “I felt our doubles proved a lot today. But what can you say? Palisades is an amazing team.”