Vikings can’t get tiebreakers to fall their way
Published 7:55 am Friday, March 23, 2018
- Warren Central’s Greyson Parman follows through on a shot during a boys’ doubles match Thursday against Pearl. Parman and his partner John Jabour beat Lucas Smith and Andrei Gregory 6-1, 6-2. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Tiebreakers were not kind to Warren Central’s tennis team on Thursday.
Three of the seven matches against Pearl went to a third-set tiebreaker, but the Vikings were only able to pull out one victory and lost 4-3 at Halls Ferry Park.
Madi Temple and Audrey Thomas secured the winning point for Pearl with a 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 win at No. 2 girls doubles.
Pearl also won the boys singles point in a tiebreaker, as Trey Hilton knocked off George Wilkerson 6-2, 2-6, 10-7.
“It was a close, competitive match,” Warren Central coach Steve Summers said. “This match and the St. Andrew’s match were really the only close ones we’ve been in. We’re a young team. Our average age is halfway through their ninth-grade year. So it’s always good to get them some experience in close matches. The losses hurt, but there’s value in it.”
Warren Central did get one victory in a tiebreaker. Seventh-grader Audrey Jennings dropped the first set against Brooklyn Massey before rallying for an impressive 4-6, 6-1, 10-4 victory.
“This is the first time that she’s seen high school girls singles, so I’m really proud of her,” Summers said. “Being down after dropping the first set, and staying with it and coming in strong, I’m super proud of that for sure.”
Warren Central’s other points came in No. 1 boys doubles and No. 1 girls doubles.
John Jabour and Greyson Parman blitzed Lucas Smith and Andrei Gregory 6-1, 6-2, while the sister duo of Taylor and Laney Smith beat Pearl’s Anna Rutledge and Megha Patel 6-0, 6-0.
Pearl’s Kyle Morgigno and Dani Avelar beat Ian Gordon and Jane Hopson 6-2, 6-2 in mixed doubles. Benjamin Rutledge and Josef Rutledge defeated WC’s Gordon Wilkerson and Steed Springfield 6-1, 6-3 in No. 2 boys doubles.
Warren Central’s record fell to 5-3 on the season. It will travel to Grenada on Friday afternoon.