ORLAND, CA (MPG) - What is the reward for finishing the Butte View League in third place? A date with No. 1 seed Orland on April 21 in the first round of the North State CIF Playoffs.

For most that would seem like a punishment being swept 9-0 by the Trojans, but for Bulldogs coach Bob Moffitt, it was an opportunity.

“I knew we were going to get clobbered by Orland,” Moffitt said. “The school is a year-round program and they started the season with more skills and experience than we had. But we have been rapidly improving to the point where we are now a rung and a half below them on the skills ladder. What this meet gave us was an opportunity to improve many skills on which we have been focused in the last few days.”

Why was that important? Because the NSCIF Playoffs run concurrently with the Butte View League Playoffs. Moffitt figured that with two new serves, improving abilities to spin the ball and more focus on shot placement, that the Bulldogs might be able to surprise some people in the BVL tournament the following day on April 22.

As expected, the skill of Orland and the growing pains of applying news skills to match conditions did not go well for Gridley on the score sheet, but there were several glimpses of what might be possible. The combination of juniors, Spencer Davis and Cole Leishman, freshman Cesar Ortiz, sophomore Eric Ramirez and senior Taylor Johnson combined to win just three games. But, with their efforts at side spin, top spin and shot placement, they were able to win many more points within those games, going to deuce against their opponents on dozens of occasions.

Doubles have been the Bulldogs strength all season. Because of scheduling conflicts, sophomore Ryan Woolery and junior Jeremy Longmire were unable to attend the meet. So, Ramirez and Ortiz stepped up to the task of the No. 1 seed and took on two of the best players in the section, Steve Murillo and Ethan Orozco. The final score was 6-3 6-4 for Orland, but there was an increase in games going to deuce and taking seven games was certainly a positive sign. Ramirez and Ortiz previously had the only win over Orland as the No. 3 seed April 8.

The new team of Davis and Johnson then took on Orland’s No. 2 team of Junior Galvan and Kevin Torres. Just two weeks earlier, Orland’s duo allowed just one game to Gridley. On this day, Gridley would take many more than that.

With the strong net play of Davis and the tremendous reach of the slender Johnson, the Bulldogs took the Trojans to 10 games, losing 4-6. Unlike the regular season, the playoffs are two-out-of-three sets and not first-to-eight games. Davis and Johnson came out firing in the second set, using a variety of serves and a significant increase in aggression at the net to win the second set 6-3. Galvan and Torres regained some of their serving mojo in the third set and, though it was close, won 6-3.

Still, the second set for Davis and Johnson and the continued improvement of Ramirez and Ortiz gives the team some measure of confidence. The second set victory now makes two in 24 matches against Orland. Longmire came close, losing to Jose Garcia in a tiebreak on April 13.

On another note, the team is garnering attention from local news organizations besides the Gridley Herald. Jenna Fink of Action News Now Channel 12 featured the team in a recent newscast.

Gridley will next go to Las Plumas to take on Corning, Orland and Oroville in the BVL Championship. Because the second half of the tournament takes place on a Saturday, Paradise Adventist will not take part.

Any businesses or individuals who would like to help Gridley make improvements to its facilities can contact Moffitt via email at [email protected]. The school needs new tennis net cranks, a sunshade so players don’t have to look into the sun when serving, a functioning ball machine and lumber to repair the coach’s bench.