Rivalry matches highlight recent tennis action
The Gordon Lee tennis teams earned their first victories of the season last Monday afternoon as they swept a pair of matches at Ridgeland.
The Lady Trojans recorded a 4-1 victory. Reese Roberts defeated Cate Barton at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-1, while Allie Brown got past Maddie O’toole, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 3 singles.
Gordon Lee’s No. 1 team of Francis Lewis and Madilyn Bailey shut out Evie Williams and Ava Mariakis, 6-0, 6-0. Meanwhile, Joni Staub and Adlee Parrish posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Ana Anguiano and Presley Cazarov.
Ridgeland’s only win came at No. 1 singles as Emily Housley outlasted Natalie Jones, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
On the boys’ side, the Trojans earned a 5-0 shutout.
Andrew Sisemore defeated Destin Hoover, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 1 singles. Andrew Bailey shut out Harley Little, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 2 singles, while Noah Dockery defeated Westin Simerly, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 3 singles.
The two doubles matches featured a pair of 6-0, 6-0 wins for the Trojans. Mason Edgeman and Jesse Craddock defeated Hudson Adams and Daniel Tillman, while Campbell Pierce and Ben Stoker teamed up to take down T.J. Parkhill and Lyric Flynn.
The Lady Generals took the court last on Monday against their county rivals and collected a 5-0 victory at home.
The Navy-and-red won all three singles matches in straight sets. Lauren Mock beat Zoey Defoor, 7-5, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Ella Blansit stopped Riley Burdette at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-1, while Mia Callahan knocked off Sarah Taylor at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-2.
Heritage’s No. 1 pairing of Kaitlyn Hilyard and Rachel Brown rallied to beat Sommer Bailey and Kinsey
Miller, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Meanwhile, Silvia Rantala and Tia Eaves dropped the first set against Addison Svoboda and Hannah Brown before coming back for a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory.
In the boys’ match, the Tigers took two of three in singles, but Heritage swept the doubles to pull out a 3-2 win.
The lone win in singles for the Generals was turned in by Dario Fonio, who beat David Self, 6-2, 6-4, at the No. 2 spot.
The team of Jedd Johnson and Kevin Yang scored a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Wyatt Blankenship and Thatcher Wilbanks at No. 1 doubles, while John and Mac Keith took down Matthew Wright and Mitchell Watson at No. 2 doubles, 6-1, 6-2.
Ringgold’s Io Hase lost the first set against Kaleb Biddle, 6-0, but rallied to win the second set, 7-6. Hase led 5-1 in the third when the No. 1 singles match was stopped. The other point for the Tigers came at No. 3 singles as Ian Bates took down Thomas Culpepper, 7-5, 6-2.
The Generals and Lady Generals both blanked the visiting Raiders last Tuesday to begin the Region 7-AAAA slate.
Biddle picked up a forfeit victory at No. 1 singles. Fonio won 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 at No. 2 singles, while Culpepper earned a 6-3, 7-6 victory at No. 3 singles.
Heritage had a much easier time in doubles. Johnson and Yang picked up a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 1 doubles, while the Keiths earned a victory by the same score at the No. 2 spot.
Mock and Blansit posted identical 6-1, 6-0 scores at No. 1 and No. 2 singles for the Lady Generals, while Callahan won 6-3, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.
Hilyard and Brown scored a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 1 doubles, while Rantala and Eaves finished things off