Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Eagles cruise to 4-5A tennis title

All close matches go Abilene High’s way in 17-2 rout

By Mark Wilson
Reporter-News Staff Writer

After losing seven seniors to graduation last spring, Abilene High may not have been expected to be quite as strong in the 2000 team tennis season.

Tell that to the Midland High Bulldogs and you’re likely to get a laugh — or possibly a few tears.

Abilene High routed the Bulldogs, 17-2, Monday at the AHS courts as the teams completed the District 4-5A match that started Saturday and was postponed by rain. The Eagles, who are now 13-3 on the season, won 16 of 17 matches played on Monday although they had to go three sets to win eight of them.

The convincing victory sends coach Fred Scott’s defending state champion and third-ranked Eagles to the regional tournament for the fourth year in a row — including the last three as district champions. Both teams entered the match at 5-0 in district, and both will advance to the 16-team regional, to be played in Abilene Friday and Saturday.

The winner of the regional tournament will advance to the state tournament in Austin, where the Eagles won their second state team tennis championship last fall. AHS won its other state team tennis crown in 1991.

Even though the current team is playing well now, the relatively inexperienced Eagles came into the season with more room for improvement overall than last year’s squad.

“We had further to go to get where we are now,’’ Scott said. “I just think we’ve matured. Last year’s team came in pretty seasoned. We pretty well knew what to expect every week.’’

The Eagles and the Bulldogs were tied at one match apiece when rain interrupted Saturday’s matches, with Abilene High having recorded a win at No. 1 boys doubles and Midland High having won at No. 1 girls doubles. Abilene High was trailing in two matches that were in progress on Saturday, but on Monday the Eagles grabbed all the momentum by jumping out to a 6-1 lead, and the contest was virtually over.

“This morning we came out gunning in doubles,’’ Scott said. “We had them down 6-1 before they knew what happened. I told coach (AHS assistant coach Cheryl Priddy) that the first 15 minutes today could make it a blowout and that’s exactly what happened. If you look at the scores, every match was close, but we got that momentum going and it’s kind of hard to slow us down.’’

In addition to the No. 1 girls doubles match that the Bulldogs had won Saturday, Midland High was able to win at No. 1 boys singles on Monday.

“I thought it was going to be closer,’’ said Megan Langston, a junior who has been on the AHS varsity three years. “Before I knew it, we had 10 (match wins). It was a good feeling knowing we’re the district champions going into the regional tournament.

“This team has a lot of people that haven’t played in the top six before. I think we have a chance to get out of regional. Every match is a big win, whether you play No. 1 or No. 6.’’

Langston won a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Drew Branum at the No. 1 girls singles spot. That was one of only three girls matches in singles or doubles that didn’t go three sets.

“That was a big match. Last week, she started playing her best tennis of the year and she followed that up today with some more great play,’’ Scott said. “We had several players that didn’t play that well, but they just figured out a way to win.’’

Scott said that the players usually realize how the other matches are going while they’re still on the court, and individual victories tend to trigger a chain reaction as team confidence builds.

“Every time that happens, it pumps them up and takes the pressure off everybody,’’ Scott said. “I’d sure hate to be on the other end of that.’’

The opening-round matches in the regional tournament are set for 8 a.m. Friday. Matches will be played at the Abilene High and Cooper courts, as well as Rose Park Tennis Center, Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University, Madison Middle School and Clack Middle School.

Abilene High 17, Midland High 2

Boys singles — Marcus Valdez, MHS, def. Beau Cox 7-6, 6-1; Jacob Herman, AHS, def. Miguel Bustilloz 6-2, 6-4; Bryce Hicks, AHS, def. Jonathan Webb 6-2, 6-2; Nathan Johnson, AHS, def. Jeff Gilmour 6-2, 7-5; Steven Herrera, AHS, def. Carlos Morales 6-1, 6-3; Brent Eaton, AHS, def. Anthony Kent 6-0, 6-1.

Boys doubles — Cox-Johnson, AHS, def. Valdez-Webb 6-3, 6-3; Herman-Hicks, AHS, def. Bustilloz-Gilmour 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Herrera-Eaton, AHS, def. Kent-Logan 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.

Boys singles — Megan Langston, AHS, def. Drew Branum 6-4, 6-2; Kama Scott, AHS, def. Natalie Madden 6-7, 6-2, 7-6; Jessica Paup, AHS, def. Lavra Irrerarity 7-6, 3-6, 6-2; Liz McCracken, AHS, def. Catherine Cobb 7-5, 6-1; Catherine Roark, AHS, def. Sara Giles 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; Emily Antilley, AHS, def. Ashley Shannon 6-0, 3-6, 6-1.

Boys doubles — Branum-Madden, MHS, def. Langston-McCracken 6-4, 6-3; Scott-Paup, AHS, def. Innerarity-Cobb 6-3, 7-6; Roark-Antilley, AHS, def. Giles-Reeves 6-4, 6-7, 6-1.

Mixed doubles — Quentin Walker-Stephanie Cox, AHS, def. Hilliard-Lindsey Madden 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Contact assistant sports editor Mark Wilson at 676-6775 or wilsonm@abinews.com. We are on the Web at http://sports.texnews.com.