If the West Ranch girls tennis team is the favorite to win its first outright Foothill League title this season, then the Hart girls tennis team showed it’s not to be overlooked, either.

The Indians stayed right with the Wildcats, who are ranked No. 1 in the CIF-Southern Section Division III poll, for most of their match Thursday afternoon before West Ranch pulled out an 11-7 win in the third round of matches at Hart High School.

“I was very happy with the overall team performance. Singles were exceptional,” said Hart head coach Chris Mansfield. “(The Wildcats) were a little too strong at the end.”

The Wildcats (8-0, 3-0) entered the final four sets with a two-set lead, and they were able to win three of the final four to put away the win.

“When the match is on the line, our team has come up with big wins,” said West Ranch head coach Eric Spiecker. “Our girls have won a lot of pressure matches and pressure sets.”

The highlight of those final sets came when West Ranch’s No. 3 doubles team of Amanda Wilkinson and Sarah Andrews defeated Hart’s No. 1 tandem of Shannon Cholakian and Victoria Lionetti 6-3.

The Indians were impressive on the singles side, taking five of the nine sets with No. 1 Jackie Resler winning two of her three sets 6-3 and 6-1 and No. 2 Proyfan Lahaphaisan also winning two 6-4 and 6-2.

West Ranch’s No. 1 Ana Cecilia Fuentes swept her three sets, though, winning 6-3, 6-1 and 6-2.

The Indians’ doubles teams couldn’t match the success of their singles squads, though, as the Wildcats won seven of the nine doubles matches.

West Ranch’s No. 1 team of Gabrielle Morici and Lena Poonnopatam swept 6-4, 6-2 and 6-0, and the No. 2 team of Jordyn Jaffe and MacKenzie Lyle won two sets 6-1 and 6-1.