KHS does well in spring break tourney

Photo by Kathy Bowden ANOTHER TEAM TITLE - Brittany Conner (above) and the Kilgore High School girls won their team trophy at their Spring Break Madness tournament on Friday. With little actual on-the-court, non-teammate competition left before the District 17-4A tournament in early April, the Kilgore Bulldogs' tennis team hosted the Spring Break Madness tournament Friday, and had another good outing.

The KHS girls won the overall girls team trophy, and Kilgore's Sawyer Broussard won another boys singles title, and has now won the last two tournaments in which he's played.

KHS, coached by Mac Blackstone, will take part in a junior varsity tournament in Gladewater this week, but the varsity has just one more tournament - a get-ready tournament at John Tyler High School on March 31 and April 1 - before they are slated to play in the District 17-4A tournament in Jacksonville. The district tourney is April 11-12, and sends several players from 17-4A to regionals, where they can qualify for the state tournament. Boys

In boys A singles action on Friday, it was Kilgore's Broussard coming out on top again, as he had done in the Texas Eastman Tournament in Longview last weekend. Broussard beat Texas High's Andrew Smith, then beat Smith's teammate, Trey Brown, 64, 6-0, in the finals. Smith finished third.

In boys A doubles, Texas High's Glenn Austin and Brad Smith won the title. Kilgore's John Carlson and Travis Perkins lost their opening match, but then won two straight to take the consolation title. Perkins and Carlson beat Steven Cook and Josh Farrell of Quitman, 6-0, 60.

In boys B singles, Kilgore's Andy Wright won the consolation title, beating teammate Logan Ethridge, 6-0, 6-1. Kilgore's Chance Grantham beat Sabine's Richard Russell in the first round, 61, 6-2, but lost to Texas High's John Jacob, 6-0, 61, and finished fourth.

In boys B doubles, the KHS team of Trevar Compton and Ryan Whitmer lost their opener, but won the consolation championship. Whitmer and Compton beat teammates Ethan High and Joe Warden, 6-0, 6-1, and beat Quitman's Peter Borke and Carl Jordan, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4, in the consolation finals. Kilgore's Seth Loftberg and Josh Snyder lost their opener, then lost to Borke and Jordan in consolation play.

Girls

Texas High's Erin Havener won the girls A singles championship, getting past Kilgore's Erica Greer and Hailey Smith on the way. Havener beat Greer, 6-4, 5-0 when Greer injured her leg, and beat Smith, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the finals.

In girls A doubles, Kilgore's Brittany Conner and Emily Mitis lost to Texas High's Kelsey Meadows and Strayhan, but won third place, beating Sabine's Stephanie Wilson and K. Denmon, 7-6, 6-2 (7-4).

In girls B singles, Kilgore's Locero Loredo won the crown. Loredo beat Texas High's Shawna Foster, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, in the finals. Kilgore's Emily Spence won her opener, and wound up fourth. Lauren Terry of Kilgore lost her opener, and lost to teammate Erin Bagwell in the consolation finals, 6-3, 6-3. Bagwell beat Paige Hartley, 6-2, 62.

Michelle Brandl and Leigh Ann Sechrist won the girls B doubles title, 6-0, 6-3, over a Texas High duo. Seslea Mobbs and Sarah Berryhill of KHS also won their opener, lost in the second round, and finished fourth. Kilgore's Shelby Nestleroad and Kristi Golden will meet Mobbs and Berryhill in the consolation finals, Blackstone said, sometime next week.

Mixed doubles

Kilgore had two teams in the mix: Randy Bass and Holly Ralson, and Neal Owen and Jade Climer.

Bass and Ralson finished fourth. They won their first match, 6-1, 6-0, but lost in the semifinals. Owen and Climer lost in the first round, but won the consolation, beating a team from White Oak, 6-1, 6-2.