Bound for title tilt
Model’s boys pull out a close win over Harlem to earn a berth in the state tennis championship.
It was the hope of Model boys’ tennis coach Josh Goss last week that his team would keep battling after their push to win in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.
With a first-ever trip to the Class AA state championship on the line Tuesday, that’s exactly what they did.
The Blue Devils’ No. 2 doubles team of David Mountain and Sam Bryant pulled out a 7-5 win in their first set and then overcame a rough start to win their second set 6-3 and clinch the victory for Model, 3-2, on the road at Harlem.
It was the second straight round where Model’s fate came down to the fifth and final match. The Region 7-AA champions move on to Saturday’s finals against Bleckley County at Clayton County International Park Tennis Center in Jonesboro.
Paige Reece, who coaches the Model girls’ team and has been an instructor for several of the Model players, accompanied the Blue Devils to the other side of the state on Tuesday due to Goss having to miss the match for personal reasons.
“It was loud, as you can imagine coming down to the final match, and they were just able to focus and battle back,” Reece said. “Honestly, with them being seniors, a lot of it has to do with their experience and keeping their cool. The same with No. 1 doubles. Being older just gave them the edge of experience.”
Model’s No. 1 doubles team of John Weaver and Stephen Boylan were the first to complete their match on Tuesday, quickly winning in straight sets. Singles player Parker Stone followed, taking control in the second set to close out his match.
After losses in the other two singles matches, the Blue Devils sat tied with Harlem, 2-2, with Mountain and Bryant still fighting. The Model duo was tied 2-all with Harlem in the second set when they turned it around and won four of the next five games.
In other playoff action:
Screven girls 3, Rockmart 2
The Rockmart girls’ postseason run came to an end Tuesday as the Lady Jackets fell in a close match to Screven County in the semifinals of the Class AA state playoffs.
Rockmart, which won the Region 7-AA title this season, got wins at No. 1 singles from Emma Evans (7-5, 6-0) and at No. 2 singles from Mary Ella Owens (6-4, 6-2), but dropped both doubles matches and No. 3 singles.
“We had a really good year,” Rockmart coach Kent Mathis said. The girls worked hard. Screven County just had a little more in the gas tank than we did.”
The Lady Jackets finish the season with only two losses and will return several players next season.