BHS dominates division tennis
Published 5:00 am Thursday, April 17, 2008
Brookhaven flexed its tennis muscles Wednesday at the wind-sweptBrookhaven Country Club. The Panthers dominated individual matchplay in the Division 6-3A Tennis Tournament, winning three of fiveevents and qualifying five teams for the state tourney next monthat the Ridgeland Tennis Center.
“I was pleased with the effort,” said BHS tennis coach TerriHall. “We have a young team and the future looks bright.”
Hall’s Panthers won the regular season Division 6-4A team titleearlier and will host Northeast Jones Saturday at the BCC. Under anew format created by the Mississippi High School ActivitiesAssociation, individual champions advance to state next month, May7-8, plus the winning team in the division playoffs.
In girls and boys doubles, champion and runner-up pairs alsoadvance to state, either in No. 1 or No. 2 doubles.
In boys doubles, Reilly Miller and Bryant Kintner, seeded No. 1defeated Matt Hart and Scott Warnock 6-0, 7-5, in an all-Brookhavenfinals. Hart and Warnock were No. 5 seeds but plowed through teamsfrom Florence and Lawrence County to reach the title test.
In girls doubles, Brookhaven’s Emily Lowery and Amanda Moak, theNo. 1 seeds, defeated teammates Meredith Jacobs and Allison Boyd6-4, 6-3 in the championship finals. Boyd-Jacobs were seeded No. 5.They beat teams from Forest Hill and Lawrence County in straightsets to land a finals match.
In mixed doubles, Alex Lea and Lakenya Kelly of Brookhavenwhipped Daughdril-Austin of McComb in the finals, winning 6-1,6-2.
McComb captured boys singles as No. 1 seed Zack Eckman defeatedNo. 2 seed Blake Stalans of Lawrence County 6-2, 6-0 in thechampionship. Brookhaven’s Aaron Scoggins was an opening roundwinner over Justin McAllister of Mendenhall but he lost to Stalansin the semifinals, 6-2, 6-3.
In girls singles, No. 2 seed Kristen Kelly of Florence capturedthe title, beating No. 1 Laura Kebert of McComb in a split-setmarathon, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, in the final match of the day. Brook’sHannah Driskell, seeded No. 3, lost 6-1, 6-1 to Kelly in the semis.Driskell beat Melisa McNeese of Lawrence County 6-1, 6-1 in theopening round.