It was a good news/bad news kind of announcement for the Gunn and Menlo-Atherton boys following the seedings for the Central Coast Section Team Tennis Tournament on Monday night.
The good news was Gunn (12-6) received the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye while the Bears (18-2) got the No. 5 seed and a free pass to the second round.
Now the bad news. Should Gunn beat the winner of the Aragon-Valley Christian match and Menlo-Atherton advance past either St. Ignatius or Piedmont Hills, the Titans and Bears will meet in the quarterfinal on Monday at Gunn (3 p.m.).
While the winner of that match will advance to the semifinals (good news), waiting at Bay Club Courtside on May 13 most likely will be top-seeded and defending champion Menlo School (21-1).
Thus, Gunn and Menlo-Atherton will not be skating through the CCS playoffs as all three local entrants were seeded into the same half of the 16-team bracket.
Menlo School has won the past six titles and will be shooting for a record-tying seventh straight, which would tie the mark held by Gunn (1972-78).
The Knights also have won 13 section crowns overall, the most ever, under head coach Bill Shine. Menlo enters the tournament with just one loss, the sixth time the Knights have had just one loss (or none) heading into the CCS playoffs.
2015 BOYS’ CCS TEAM TENNIS TOURNAMENT
First Round
Wednesday (3 p.m.)
Santa Cruz (15-1) at Cupertino (17-0)
Crystal Springs (16-3) vs. St. Francis (16-6) at Cuesta Park
Pacific Grove (12-1) vs. Los Gatos (13-4) at Los Gatos Swim & Racquet Club
R.L. Stevenson (11-1) at Leland (15-1)
St. Ignatius (17-5) vs. Piedmont Hills (8-7) at Willow Glen High
Valley Christian (12-8) at Aragon (13-7)
Carlmont (9-7) vs. Harker (15-3) at Bay Club Santa Clara
Monterey (11-6) vs. Mitty (13-8) at Sunnyvale Tennis Center
Second Round
Friday (3 p.m.)
Santa Cruz-Cupertino winner at No. 6 Monta Vista (12-6)
St. Francis-Crystal Springs winner vs. No. 3 Bellarmine (19-3) at Bay Club Santa Clara
Pacific Grove-Los Gatos winner at No. 7 Homestead (14-7)
RLS-Leland winner at No. 2 Saratoga (14-2)
St. Ignatius-Piedmont Hills winner at No. 5 Menlo-Atherton (18-2)
Aragon-Valley Christian winner at No. 4 Gunn (13-6)
Carlmont-Harker winner at No. 8 Westmont (14-1)
Monterey-Mitty winner at No. 1 Menlo School (21-1)
Quarterfinals
Monday at high seed, 3 p.m.
Semifinals
Wednesday, May 13 at Los Gatos Swim & Racquet Club and Bay Club Courtside
Championship
Friday, May 15 at Bay Club Courtside