Heritage girls finish second, move on to next round of state

The Heritage Lady Generals gave it their best effort, but came up on the short end of a 3-1 decision to the topseeded Central-Carroll Lady Lions in the Region 7-AAAA tennis tournament finals at Lakeshore Park in Dalton last Tuesday.

Senior Bailey Christol picked up a 6-1, 6-4 victory for Heritage at No. 2 singles. However, the Lady Lions would win at No. 1 singles, No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles to clinch the victory.

Morgan Phillips, the team’s other senior, battled back to get her No. 1 singles match to a second-set tiebreaker. The tiebreaker was even at 5-5, but Phillips would run out of steam at the end. Elli Jost and Lauren Mock had split the first two sets of their No. 2 doubles match when the overall match was halted.

With Region 6 only electing to send two teams to the state tournament, the Lady Generals received a bye in the first round of the state tournament.

Their second-round match will be at home after Jefferson, the No. 4 seed from Region 8, knocked off Region 5 champion Hampton, 3-2, in the first round.

The date and time for the match was unknown as of press time.

Heritage’s girls advanced to the region finals after a 3-0 semifinal win over Cedartown last Monday. Christol coasted to a 6-0, 6-0 victory. Mia Callahan won her match, 6-3, 6-2, while the team of Jost and Mock also blanked their opponents, 6-0, 6-0.

Phillips and the team of Kortney McKenzie and Rheagan Simmons had picked up wins in the first set and were leading in the second set when the matches were stopped following Heritage’s clinching point.

In the boys’ tournament, Heritage ended up with the No. 4 seed from Region 7 after a 3-1 loss to Cedartown in the consolation match. Nathan Minton won his match, 6-4, 7-5, at No. 1 singles.

However, the Generals would lose the other two singles matches and the

No. 2 doubles match as the Bulldogs picked up the win. The No. 1 doubles team of Colton Buckles and Will Veal had split the first two sets of their match when play was stopped.

Heritage defeated Pickens, 3-1, in an earlier region tournament match. Minton won his match, 6-0, 6-0, while J.T. Halloren picked up a 6-1, 6-0 victory. Jedd Johnson and Kaleb Biddle provided the winning point with a 6-0, 6-2 victory in doubles. The team of Buckles and Veal were up a set when their match was brought to a halt.

The Generals fell to Central in the semis, 3-0, dropping matches at No. 2 and No. 3 singles and at No. 1 doubles. Heritage was down a set at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, but were leading in the second set of both matches when play was halted.

Heritage faced Region 6 champion Marist in the first round in Atlanta on Friday and suffered a 3-0 loss to the state powerhouse as the War Eagles lost just two games in the nine totals sets that were played over five matches.