The Fresno City College Men’s Tennis team has advanced to the state championship game after defeating Foothill 5-4 in the Northern California Regionals. The Rams found success in singles matches and doubles as well. Andre Almedia brought home the victory in singles while the Aussie duo of Sam Bertram and Adam “Tron Legacy” De Romas took the win in doubles. Brian Harpin and Luis Ochoa also added a win for the Rams in doubles.

The Rams went into the match expecting Foothill to put up a fight. But the Rams felt prepared since they have already won many major battles this season. The match was a battle of heavy weights as both teams were expected to be among the elite since early on in the season.

Adam De Romas entered the match guaranteeing a victory.

“We weren’t trying as hard as we could till now and the results are going to show,” said De Romas. “All the guys on this team are talented. We don’t have any bad players.”

He also credits their success to the rigorous workouts the coaches have put them through.

“They (the coaches) have made us vomit. Every single player on this team has vomited,” said De Romas.

Although he is a freshman this season, it didn’t take long for De Romas to feel at home. “I was a leader since I got here,” he said.

The team also clicked right away and continued to make progress throughout the season. “The bond is insane. It’s like we’re blood brothers,” De Romas said. “We’ve improved out mental toughness. We want to be out on the court all day.”

The Rams feel fortunate as they have been peaking at the right time. Head coach Steve Loop is proud of the progress he has seen in his team. “If you look at us from the fall till now, everybody is playing at a higher level. That’s because we have so many good players that guys can hit with on a daily basis,” said Loop.

Though the team has accomplished much this year, the fall training is what they remember most clearly. Freshman Sam Bertram is one of those players that have worked hard since the fall. And the results have shown for Bertram. He is currently ranked No.5 on the Intercollegiate Athletic Association rankings.

The Rams also have seven players in the top 13 on the ITA rankings.

Bertram recalls all the vomiting from the grueling workouts. “It was hard and funny at the same time,” said Bertram. “We expected to win coming into the season and that is what we’re going to do.”

This season the Rams put seven players on the All-Big 8 Conference men’s tennis team.

First-team honors went to Almeida, Bertram, De Romas, Christian Fisher, Shane Leeder and Brian Harpin in singles, and to Bertram/De Romas, Almeida/Fisher and Harpin/Anthony Martinez in doubles.

Almeida was also named singles MVP while Bertram and De Romas were named doubles MVPs.

The Rams will once again have their expectations high as they battle Southern California champ Mt. San Jacinto on May 10 in San Diego.