Model boys move on to AA Elite Eight
The Blue Devils defeat Berrien 4-1 to continue their postseason success.
The Model boys’ tennis team is marching on in the Class AA state playoffs following a business-like approach to defeating Berrien on Thursday in the Sweet 16.
After getting over some early jitters, the Blue Devils took a 4-1 mark against the visiting Rebels at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College.
The victory puts Model in the Elite Eight for the first time in at least a decade.
John Weaver and Stephen Boylan got the first win for Model in No. 1 doubles, 6-1, 6-0. No. 1 singles
player Kyle Hale followed close behind by capping off a 6-3, 6-1 win over Joseph Jordan.
The match that put the Blue Devils over the best-of-five limit came at No. 2 doubles as Sam Bryant and David Mountain kept calm and won 6-3, 6-2.
Model coach Josh Goss said his doubles teams played the best he had seen all season, and the overall win gave him a good feeling going forward.
“We were really nervous to start and had a lot of unforced errors,” Goss said. “Once the kids got into a rhythm they hit the ball well.”
Parker Stone battled hard at No. 2 singles to pull out a 7-5, 6-0 win against Isaac Lanier to give the Blue Devils four of the five matches.
The last match on the court was No. 3 singles, where Model’s Chase Geier played Wyatt Brady to a third set. Down 4-1, Geier won back-to-back games to make it 4-3 before Brady took the next two to win.