GHS tennis has strong sectional showing

Published 3:16 pm Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Greenville High School tennis team traveled to Troy last week with head coach William Champion for the sectional tournament, and the boys returned with a second-place finish while the girls finished fourth.

Leading the way for the Tigers was No. 1 seed Mitch Young.

Young won his bracket by defeating Ozark’s Ben Snead (6-4, 6-3) and Troy’s Clay Berry in the finals (4-6, 7-6 [7-3], 6-3).

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No. 2 seed Casey Tesmer also came out with a win in his bracket by defeating Ozark’s Rory Hubbard (6-2, 6-2) and Devantez Jackson of Troy (7-6 [7-3], 6-4).

Third seed David Caddell fought against Eufaula’s Matt Knight, but came up short by scores of (7-5, 3-6, 6-4).

However, No. 4 seed Will Corley kept the wins coming for the Tigers.

He topped Ozark’s Daniel Donaldson (6-4, 6-2) and Troy’s Jonathan Carswell (6-4, 6-2).

No. 5 seed Nathaniel Godwin defeated Carver’s Stanley Robinson (6-2, 6-1) and Valley’s Chase Fuller (5-7, 7-6 [7-4], 6-4) before falling to Troy’s Tim Foster (4-6, 6-3, 6-2).

Sixth seeded Andrew James won a hard-fought match against Kenyada White of Carver (7-6 [7-4], 6-7 [3-7], 6-4) before falling to Ian Butler of Ozark (6-1, 6-3).

Greenville also had success in the doubles department, with the Tigers taking two of the three brackets.

Young and Caddell claimed the No. 1 seed doubles bracket with wins over Troy and Ozark, while Tesmer and Corley won the No. 2 bracket with victories over Eufaula and Troy.

Ethan Dungan and Nathaniel Godwin fell to a team from Eufaula (3-6, 6-4, 7-6 [7-1]).

In girls’ action, No. 1 seed Connor Murphy-White was upset in her first round game by A. Viles of Ozark (6-2, 7-5).

After a strong start against Eufaula’s Abbott (6-0, 6-0), No. 2 seed Sarah Roper fell to Wallace of Ozark (6-4, 6-2).

No. 3 seed Ashley Tetter fell in the first round to eventual bracket winner J. Butts of Valley (4-5, 6-4, 6-1).

No. 4 seed Elizabeth Dicks defeated Troy’s Bhatti (7-6 [7-4], 6-2) before losing to Ozark’s Woodham (6-2, 6-4).

Fifth seed Sarah Leverette topped Hutchinson of Valley (7-6 [7-0], 6-1) before falling to Ozark’s Ortiz (6-7 [0-7], 6-3, 6-4).

No. 6 seed Kelsey Hobbs fell to Valley’s Williams (6-2, 4-6, 6-2) in her first match.

The No. 1 doubles team of Murphy-White and Roper was upset by Valley’s Hajek and Butts (7-5, 7-5), while the No. 2 team of Tetter and Dicks lost to Valley’s Butts and Knowles (7-6 [7-5], 1-6, 6-3).

The No. 3 team of Leverette and Perry Hamilton topped Eufaula’s Cummings and Ludlum (6-1, 6-0) before falling to Ozark’s Meeks and Woodham (6-4, 2-6, 7-5).