Varsity, JV teams do well in tourneys
HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

The district tournament is fast approaching for the Kilgore High School varsity tennis program, and in fact, the junior varsity team was to begin their district tournament today.

Both got in good work over the last week in tournaments at Corsicana and Tyler, coach Jason Maroney said.

The KHS varsity took part in the annual Get Ready Tournament at John Tyler High School, and qualified for at least the semifinals in four of the five divisions. The very good doubles team of Trevar Compton and Callie Cunyus brought home second place in mixed doubles. Only first and second places were awarded.

Several JV players did outstanding in Corsicana. Chelsey Cox won the girls singles division, and teammates Caitlind Trowbridge and Shawna Bass took girls doubles. Also, the boys doubles team of Jose Tapia and Trent Raby won their division's consolation title.

Both versions of the District 12-4A tournaments will be played at Jacksonville High School. As mentioned, the JV tournament was to be held today. The varsity Bulldogs are off today and tomorrow, then host a tri-match on Thursday against Sulphur Springs and Grace Community - if the tennis court fence is fixed.

The district tournament for the varsity 12-4A teams will be a two-day affair and begins next Tuesday, and concludes Wednesday.

• Varsity in Tyler: Emily Mitis and Brittany Conner did very well for the Bulldogs in girls doubles. They had a first-round bye, then beat a Jacksonville team of Melvin and Nays, 6-2, 6-2, beat a Texas High team of Strayhorn and Rosser, 6-4, 3-6, 7-3, and lost to the tournament's top seed, the Lindale team of McClellan and Lorren, 6-4, 6-1, in the semifinals.

In boys doubles play, Josh Bailey and Jody Madding beat Longview's best two boys doubles players in a third-set tiebreaker.

"This tournament was probably the best I've seen (Madding and Bailey) play this year," Maroney said. "Even in the semis against an outstanding Tyler Lee team, we had a very good first set, with many of the games going to 40-40."

Bailey and Madding won their first three matches before losing to that team from Lee, 6- 3, 6-0.

In girls singles, Haley Smith represented Kilgore, but is still hobbled by a sore ankle. Smith reeled off a pair of quick wins (6-1, 6-0 over Jacksonville's Autumn Green and 6-3, 6-2 over Texas High's Jenni Markham), but lost to Lindale's C.C. Coe- lo, 6-1, 6-1, in the semis.

Emily Spence had a nice showing as well, Maroney noted. Spence beat future possible district opponent Jessica Sibbing of Whitehouse, 6-2, 6-2, beat JT's Antonia Lopez, 6-3, 5-7, 11-9, and then lost in the quarterfinals to Brittany Trich, 6-0, 6-0.

Compton and Cunyus got all the way to the finals before losing to Ballenger and Fernandez of Nacogdoches, 6-1, 6-4. The real feat might have been getting past the Namanny-Evans team of Lindale's in the semifinals.

"I was at another site during this match," Maroney explained, "but I've seen Lindale play before and to beat them is a great achievement.

"I did make it to the second set of the championship, and the kids played decently in the second, but they didn't play with the confidence and intensity that it would take to beat a team like Nacogdoches."

Cunyus and Compton got a first-round bye, then beat Recchia and Heinrich of Whitehouse, 6-1, 6-0; beat Pine Tree's Hamer and Davis, 6-0, 6-0; beat the Lindale team; and then lost in the finals to Nac.

• JV tennis in Corsicana: Maroney's junior varsity netters got a good district warm-up at Corsicana High last week.

Corsicana has a very good tennis program, and Cox seemed to face all of them. She played four matches, won all four, and all were against Corsicana. "She is officially tired of playing Corsicana," Maroney laughed.

She beat Bree Smith, 8-4, in the finals.

Trowbridge and Bass had a first-round bye, then reeled off four straight wins. They, too, faced competition from Corsicana, but not until the finals. The KHS team beat the CHS duo of Glenn and Colburn, 8-4.

Tapia and Raby lost their first-round match to a Corsicana team, 8-0, but then won out, last eliminating Palestine's Seale-Spalding team, 8-5, in the consolation finals.