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ALL-AREA BOYS TENNIS: FOLLOW THE LEADER
VOL singles champ covets another SJS title for team
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Manteca High’s Solman Aniss returns a shot against Dane Juarez of visiting Central Catholic in a Valley Oak League dual match. It was one of Aniss’ 18 wins during his undefeated season in league. - photo by WAYNE THALLANDER

Solman Aniss experienced championship euphoria with his teammates as a sophomore.

This past year, he checked another box by earning his first Valley Oak League singles title.  

He’s working to have it all for his senior campaign.

The Manteca High standout three-peats as the Manteca Bulletin All-Area Boys Tennis Player of the Year, but he desires to share the accolades with his fellow Buffaloes once again. 

Aniss twice vanquished his biggest rival, Kimball’s Logan Le, in the regular season during his undefeated march to the league crown. He was one-and-done in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II Individual Tournament, where VOL players rarely leave their mark. Most disappointing to him was Manteca’s string of 11 straight appearances in the section team playoffs.

“Having lost to Logan Le three times last year was motivating as it was frustrating,” Aniss said. “It encouraged me to train hard over the summer. I wanted to beat him and win the VOL tournament and I was able to do that.

“Individual accomplishments are great and I would be lying to say it didn’t matter, but from a team perspective it was the worst season we’ve had in the past decade or so. I feel like it’s my responsibility to help create a section championship contender, and for next year I hope I’m able to do that.”

The Buffaloes settled for fourth with a 9-5 record, losing twice to Oakdale and league champion Kimball and splitting with Central Catholic.

 It was the first time Manteca has missed a berth to the postseason since 2006, Frank Fontana’s first year as head coach. Fontana had since built a VOL dynasty, coaching Aniss’ older brothers and former All-Area Players of the Year Mostafa and Yassen. The Buffs claimed the SJS Division III banner in 2017.

The youngest Aniss took third in league his freshman year and was the runner-up to Le as a sophomore. He did his part in Manteca’s match-ups with Le and the Jaguars, but the Buffaloes narrowly lost each time, 5-4.

Aniss delivered a 6-3, 6-2 win in the first showdown and proved it was no fluke in the rematch, 7-5, 6-2.

“I was extremely nervous for the first time we played, admittedly” Aniss said. “I felt like I had a lot to prove. I wasn’t sure it would happen again the second time but I was much more confident and played a lot better.”

Opening day of the league tourney was a breeze. Day 2 pitted him against teammate and good friend Kurtis Ma in the title round. Aniss prevailed 6-3, 6-1 to punctuate his perfect 18-0 league mark.

“I’m really proud of Kurtis for getting to the finals,” Aniss said. “He and I are great friends on and off the court. That was a good moment for Manteca High and good for the both of us.”

Both qualified for the SJS individual tournament, and it was the third trip to Johnson Racquet Club in Roseville for Aniss. They each drew tough first-round opponents and lost, though Aniss put forth a respectable effort against No. 2 seeded Rajan Bhatia of Benicia. The power-serving Bhatia, the Solano County Athletic Conference champion, defeated Aniss 6-3, 6-2 and later added the SJS Division II singles title to his resumé by knocking off unseeded teammate Amir Adel 6-1, 6-1 in the final.

“I felt I played pretty well in that match,” Aniss said, “I just gave momentum to him in some key spots. I’m definitely going to work harder in the offseason and improve on service returns and maybe I’ll be able to take a match or two in the individual tournament next year.”

That would just be the icing.

With both Aniss and Ma, also an incoming senior, returning, the mission is for them to clutch another blue pennant with the rest of the team.

“The last two years I looked up to the seniors as mentors of some sort,” Aniss said. “I expect to fill that same role. As a captain I have to lead the team, and hopefully it’s to a section title. I want nothing more than bring another section banner to Manteca High.”