Tiger Tennis splits with Columbia

In a preview of the Region 6-A-AA tournament, the District 11-A-AA Marshall County tennis team took on District 12-A-AA Columbia Academy (CA) Friday in Lewisburg with the Tigers' boys (4-5) dominating (6-1), while the girls, also 4-5 on the season were blanked by the Lady Bulldogs (0-7).

On the boys' side, MCHS top-seed Justin Killian made easy work of Cannon Fuller, overpowering the number one Bulldog (8-2).

Tiger freshman Patrick Kennedy battled CA junior Lawson Crouch in the number two seed match and the two warriors slugged it out for a long time before Crouch prevailed (9-8, 9-7) in a marathon tiebreaker.

Erik Martin bested Travis Bryan (8-1) and Austin Mowell defeated Seth Johnston by the same score to give the Tigers a 4-1 advantage, going into the doubles portion of the match.

Killian and Kennedy teamed up in an (8-0) shutout over Fuller and Crouch, Martin and Mowell surrendered just one game (8-1) to Bryan and Johnston, and in the final doubles' match, Dustin Lyons and Caleb Cashion blanked Nick Stewart and Vince Law eight-zip.

The only close girls' match of the afternoon came in the number one seed event with CA sophomore Sammie Anderson taking down MCHS senior Sarah Tietgens (8-5).

In the other singles' matches, Meribeth Brannon fell (3-8) to Caroline White, Cortni Beardsley lost (2-8) to Abigail Wolfe, and Callie Johnson was shut-out by Catherine Wolfe (8-0).

In doubles, Tietgens and Beardsley held an early lead before Catherine Wolfe and Anna Grace Wolfe came back for an (8-5) win over the Tigerette duo.

Brannon and Johnson lost (8-0) to White and Anna Grace Wolfe and in the final match, Jordan Bailey and Jesse Underwood fell (2-8) to Baylie Farris and Sammie Anderson.

MCHS will take on district foe Page on Monday in Lewisburg, travel to Summit on Tuesday and bus over to MTCS on Friday for the start of the district team event at Old Fort State Park.

On Thursday May 3, the individual portion of the district tournament will get underway at Old Fort.