HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS

Photo by Lester Murray GET IT! - Kilgore's Jody Madding (above) was one of seven junior varsity players that saw action in an 11- team tournament played here last weekend. The 11-team high school tennis tournament held in various locations over the weekend, sponsored by Kilgore High School, turned out pretty well for the Bulldogs.

Kilgore's Haley Smith won the girls singles title, the girls doubles team of Kayla Rosen and Emily Mitis made it to the finals, and Trevar Compton earned a second place finish - all total, the Bulldogs finished second of the 11 teams in the event.

Kilgore coach Jason Maroney was happy with the tournament, and his team's showing, particularly singles standouts Smith and Compton.

"She overcame a second-set loss in the championship and dominated the third set, 6-1," he said. "Trevar should also be commended. In the semifinals, he was down 2-5 in the first set, but he came back and won 11 games in a row to close the set out, 7-5, 6-0. He had a tough time in the championship, but that is just how good (Jacksonville's) Robby Day is. ...Trevar has placed in five tournaments this spring, and he is just a sophomore. He has tremendous potential to be one of the district's top players next year."

Maroney also was complimentary of Mitis and Rosen.

"They did a great job," he said. "They had a tough second-round match, but got through it and made it to the championship. Emily Spence, who won consolation in girls singles, has placed in both varsity tournaments in which she has played. She is also a sophomore and if we can get her a little more consistent, she will really help us out for the next couple of years."

Twenty-two of the 23 Kilgore players, Maroney noted, won at least one match, including seven junior varsity players. "We won the second-place team trophy, which was great considering there were 11 teams in the tournament," the coach said. "We knew Jacksonville would be tough to beat. They have mostly seniors on their team, so they are very experienced."

Other teams participating included Mount Pleasant, Gladewater, Gilmer, Hallsville, Mount Pleasant Chapel Hill, Trinity, Grand Saline, and Paris.

Smith, just a sophomore, beat Paris' Polly Henderson, 6-0, 6-0 in the first round, beat Lufkin's Claire Brody by the same score in the second round, and beat Mount Pleasant's Janira Buitron, 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals. She beat Katherine Taylor of Trinity, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in the championship.

Kilgore also brought home the girls singles consolation title. Emily Spence lost her first-round match, but defeated Trinity's Sophie McDonald, 6-3, 6-4, for the consolation prize.

Also, Brittany Connor of Kilgore played well, winning her first two matches (over Gilmer's Patricia Ibarra, 8-5, and Gladewater's Allison Chenoweth, 7-5, 6-1) before losing to eventual finalist Taylor of Trinity.

In boys singles action, Jacksonville's Robby Day took home first place, beating Compton, 6- 1, 6-0, in the title round. Compton won three matches (over Mount Pleasant's Garrett Trickey, 6-2, 6-0, Lufkin's Bryan Harkaker, 6-2, 6-1, and Hallsville's Don Krenek, 7-5, 6-0) to get to the finals.

Also in boys singles play for Kilgore, Jordan Carlson won his first two matches before falling 1- 6, 1-6 to Keagan Gentry of Grand Saline. A pair of freshmen competed for Kilgore. Kade Bittick beat Trinity's Mark Herndon, 9-8 (7-2), and lost to Chapel Hill's Grant Seabourne, 0-6, 0-6. Jody Madding lost to Krenek, 0-6, 1-6, and to Trinity's Logan Machin, 2-8.

Rosen and Mitis made it to the finals before losing, 1-6, 3-6 to Jacksonville's team of Weaver and Bradshaw. Kilgore also had the team of Holly Ralson and Leigh Anne Sechrist representing. They won their first matchup, 6-0, 6- 4, over the Gladewater team of Huff and Black, but lost to the eventual champions, 0-2, 0-6. Kristi Golden and Lauren Terry also represented Kilgore in the event, losing their opener before bouncing back to beat a Chapel Hill team, 8-5. They lost to Gladewater's Huff and Black.

In boys doubles, Kilgore didn't place, but Ethan High and Joe Worden made it to the consolation final. The pair lost their first match to a Paris team, then won two straight (over Grand Saline's Allen and Conley, 8-5, and over Paris' Williams and Lubin, 8-4) before falling in the consolation title game.

Kilgore also had Eric Applegate and Josh Bailey, a pair of freshmen, in boys doubles. They won their first match, beating Jones and Jones of Grand Saline, 4-6, 6-3 (10-5) but lost to Lufkin's Alston Babu duo.

Mixed doubles was taken by Jacksonville, as well. Kilgore's team of Jade Climer and Travis Perkins won their first-round match, beating Gladewater's Cates and Fountain, 6-1, 6-1, but lost to a Lufkin team in the second round.

Also representing KHS in mixed doubles were Callie Cunyus and Andy Wright, as well as Holly Fountain and Camden Hinton.

Cunyus and Wright beat a Grand Saline team, but lost to the eventual second-place team from Lufkin. Fountain and Hinton beat a Mount Pleasant team before losing to Gladewater's duo of Bright and Cates, who finished third.

Kilgore's JV is slated to play in Kaufman's tournament on Thursday, and the varsity will play in a get-ready (for district) tournament this weekend at John Tyler.