Lions cement their legacy in CIF-SS record books

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers LIONS ROAR- Oaks Christian head volleyball coach George Hees, far right, and his players celebrate the program's fourth consecutive CIF-SS Division IV title after beating Oak Park in four games Saturday at Cal State Dominguez Hills. First they witnessed history, and then the Oaks Christian boys' volleyball players went out and made their own mark on the CIFSouthern Section record books.

After Viewpoint became only the third team in CIF-SS history to win four consecutive section titles with a five-game victory over Salesian in the Division V final Saturday morning at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Oaks Christian took the same court against rival Oak Park in the Division IV championship with a chance to join Viewpoint on the exclusive list of backtobacktoback-to-back title winners.

"Don't get me wrong," Oaks Christian senior setter Paul Peterson said, "three titles in a row is amazing, but four in a row is something extremely special."

Playing Oak Park for the third time this season- OPHS had won the previous two regular-season matches and the Tri-Valley League crown- Oaks Christian lost the first game Saturday but rebounded to win the next three games (2325, 2520, 2725, 2523) to secure the program's fourth title in eight years of existence.

OCHS finished the year with a 22-4 record. Oak Park ended up 23-5 overall.

Blake Fol led Oaks Christian with 21 kills and 12 digs. Dalton Gerlach had 13 kills and 12 digs, and Alani Fua added eight kills and six blocks. In addition, Kevin Cochran chipped in with 23 digs, and Peterson had 54 assists for OCHS.

Lion head coach George Hees said his group was in a positive state of mind entering the championship. Before the match, the team played a game of handball outside of the venue to stay loose.

"You don't get an opportunity like this every day," Hees said. "I wanted them to enjoy it and have fun while they were out there. I think they did."

The day wasn't nearly as enjoyable for Oak Park, which also lost to Oaks Christian in the 2006 final. When it comes to CIF championships, be it in volleyball or football, the Lions have long been a thorn in the Eagles' side.

After Saturday's result, the frustration was palpable for Oak Park senior setter Adam Quinn, one of the area's most dominant players during his fouryear varsity career.

"We did what we wanted to do by getting here, but we didn't finish the job," said Quinn, who finished with 48 assists.

"We worked so hard all year. They have everything they want; everything comes to them real easily. They have the money. Everything they want they get. They get the championship every year. They have top club players come from Camarillo, the Palisades, Westlake, even Oak Park where we live. . . . We worked so hard to get here, and I totally thought we deserved it."

While every match takes on its own unique identity, Oak Park's best chance to put a stranglehold on the championship came and went during a crazy Game 3.

Following a series of unforced errors that put the Eagles in a 17-13 hole midway through the third game, Oak Park quickly regrouped and built a 24-21 lead late.

But Oak Park was unable to put the feisty Lions away as OCHS rallied to tie Game 3 at 2424. The Lions' surge continued as senior setter Dominic Denham produced the game-winning block to put his team up two games to one in the best of five.

"That's just what our team is made of," said Peterson regarding the Game 3 comeback.

"We leave it on the floor, and that defines our last four years, I think."

Oak Park senior outside hitter Jared Furlong said losing Game 3 was "devastating" for his ballclub.

"A two-games-to-one lead is a huge advantage, and it sort of feels like you have nothing to lose after that," said Furlong, who finished with 22 kills and a pair of blocks.

"They took that advantage from us. It was big."

Oak Park started slow in Game 4 as well, and the Lions capitalized by racing out to a 19-12 lead. The Eagles, however, came back one more time and got to within 24-23 before Oak Christian put the match away.

"It's the best possible feeling to know that you got everything you could out of your high school season," said Denham, who had six kills and four blocks for OCHS.

"We played as many matches as possible, and we won the most important one of all."