Servite High School

It's not as if Servite hasn't produced one of the county's best golf teams in recent years. But this season, the Friars believe they can be No. 1. And for good reason. Servite's three returning seniors are its top three players, team captain Will Luciano, Dave Lauder and Chris Arns. They are in their fourth year together on the Servite varsity and they are the backbone of a team that barely qualified for the Southern Section team finals last season, but finished second once it got there.

There are several good reasons Servite feels prepared to capture the Southern Section Division I championship won last year by Esperanza. * The Friars have nine returning players--four of them starters--from last year's team that finished 24-4. * Only Tustin has a realistic chance to keep Servite from winning a third consecutive Golden West League title. * The Friars' pitching staff is experienced, their offense has a good balance of power and speed, and their defense is slick and savvy.

Two years ago, Servite's Ryan Moore looked like a Fiat trying to stay on the road as an 18-wheeler passed him by. Moore, a 5-foot-5 130-pound freshman, could handle himself on the tennis court against most of the Southern Section's best players, but when he faced the heavy hitters, he was usually overpowered. "I got blown off the court more than I probably care to admit," Moore said. Said Moore's mother Caryll : "He was playing a big man's game in a little man's body."

Friday's Southern Section boys' tennis individuals tournament at SeaCliff Country Club featured a few upsets, a heart-breaking loss and some exciting tennis. But the real excitement should come today when best friends face off in a singles semifinal and two Sea View League rivals hook up in a doubles semifinal. Servite's Ryan Moore and Foothill's Joost Hol each had an easy time Friday with straight-set victories, but they know today won't be so easy.

Construction on Servite High School's new science and library wing is expected to begin this week. The 12,600-square-foot building will house science laboratories, an expanded library and additional lecture halls. The school, with nearly 800 students, will renovate its existing building this summer. Construction on the $3-million project is expected to be completed in January. Servite is a private, Catholic, college-preparatory high school for boys. It opened in 1958.

In a season that featured a number of high-profile high school guards, it was easy to overlook Servite's Dennis Wisco. At 5 feet 8, Wisco is small, even for a point guard. He wasn't among county statistical leaders. And the Friars, despite winning the Golden West League title in a surprise, were never taken seriously. They made a first-round exit in the Southern Section Division II-A playoffs, losing to unseeded Pacifica, 85-80.