Doubles victories lift St. Al over Vicksburg|[03/26/08]
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A three-set win in the final match of the day in No. 2 boys doubles lifted St. Aloysius past Vicksburg 5-3 Tuesday at Halls Ferry Park.
“The new format helped us out today,” St. Al coach Leonard Banks said. The Mississippi High School Activties Association changed its tennis format now allowing for seven matches instead of just five, adding a second doubles match in both boys and girls. St. Al (3-0) took both of the No. 2 doubles matches.
“The No. 2 boys match was the key. They kind of fooled around in the second set but then got back into the match and played better,” Banks said.
St. Al’s No. 2 boys team of Steven Cialone and Carlton Campbell won the third and decisive set over Vicksburg’s Kiefer Slaton and Fritz Valerio 6-3. The St. Al pair had won the first set 6-0 before the Gators’ pair tied it up with a 6-3 win in the second set.
St. Al also got wins in boys singles, No. 2 girls doubles and mixed doubles.
Duffy Loel took the boys singles match over Vicksburg’s Donald Brown 6-1, 7-5. The Flashes’ mixed team of Taylor Henry and Olivia Hogan downed VHS’ Perry Wolfe and Samantha Briggs 6-3, 6-3.
Brianna Beesley and Victoria Trichell defeated Vicksburg’s Brittany Stocks and Morgan Francis in No. 2 girls doubles, 6-1, 6-0.
Vicksburg’s wins came in girls singles, No. 1 girls doubles and boys doubles. Christine Figueroa blanked Sara Marcus 6-0, 6-0 in singles while Catherine Figueroa and Grace Ga-as downed St. Al’s No. 1 team in Kattie Floyd and Amanda Guizerix 6-1, 6-0.
Reed Rogers and Perry Tolliver won the No. 1 boys doubles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Scott McKay and Jeremy Falls.
St. Al also took a No. 3 girls doubles match when Ryan Martin and Victoria Meekus won 6-3, 6-2.
Banks announced there will be two tennis tournaments at the Halls Ferry Courts in April. The first-ever Beverly O’Neal Memorial will be played April 4-6.
“This will be an open event. Anybody who wants to participate can. The level will be from 3.0 to 5.0 on the USTA scale. I’m encouraging all of our high school team players to enter it,” Banks said.
Beverly O’Neal was a well-known tennis player and instructor in Vicksburg before dying after a match in Jackson in 2005.
Banks added that the annual Julie Abraham Tournament, matching the county’s three tennis programs, is tenatively set for April 23.