With just two league matches remaining in the 2025 Central California Conference (CCC) league tennis season, the Los Banos Tigers (12–1 CCC) took first place.
They defeated the Golden Valley Cougars (9–0 sweep) on Tuesday and the Merced Bears (5–4) on Thursday in Merced.
The Tigers can close out their 2025 season with a CCC league championship if they can defeat the Atwater Falcons on Monday, or “Senior Night,” on their home court and handle the El Capitan Gauchos on Tuesday in Merced.
The Tigers claimed all nine matches in Merced over Golden Valley since Justin Gould, Chase Fifield, Nick Tova, Yahir Zuniga, Noah Cardenas and Tyler Meza defeated their Cougars opponents in their singles matches.
Los Banos swept the three doubles matches, with Nelson Fabian and Drake Fifield, Gratien Indart and Alexis Reyna, and Edgar Vizcarra and Brody Benton defeating their Cougars opponents.
This set up the Thursday match with the Merced Bears. First place in the CCC league is on the line.
The Bears claimed the first three matches over the Tigers, but Yahir Zuniga, Noah Cardenas and Tyler Meza won their three singles matches to square the overall match at three wins each.
But it was the Tigers doubles teams of Nelson Fabian and Drake Fifield and Gratien Indart and Alexis Reyna defeating their Cougars opponents to claim the five matches Los Banos would need to secure the match victory and first place in the CCC tennis season.
“Our players wanted this victory so badly, and they played their hearts out to bring it home,” coach Lynn Barcellos told the Express after the match with Merced.
