BRIDGEPORT — The final tennis match of the regular season held much significance for netters from Bridgeport and Lincoln.
While the Indians coasted to wins in both boys (6-1) and girls (5-2), several players from both schools were looking to solidify seeding for the upcoming regional tournament May 5-7 at Robert C. Byrd High School.
Bryce Williams continued his sensational senior season with an 8-0 win over Lincoln’s Logan Minnix. He, along with No. 2 singles Brady Hillegas and No. 4 singles Ben Smith, likely clinched top seeds for the regional.
“Bryce, Brady and Ben have all been playing great tennis the past few weeks,” Bridgeport coach Dan Oliveto said. “But for us to really step up and take the Big 10 this weekend, everyone needs to eliminate the mental mistakes.
“The Big 10 has a lot of good tennis players in it and we need to be at our best.”
In the No. 3 boys contest, Lincoln’s Cory Fazalare held off a spirited comeback by Bridgeport’s Emery Smith to take a 9-8 (7-2) win.
With Fazalare seeded third at the Big 10 and Smith No. 2, it’s likely they’ll meet again this weekend barring upsets.
In boys doubles play, the Indians dominated.
Williams and Hillegas downed Minnix and Jordan Martin, 8-0, while the Smiths overwhelmed Fazalare and Izzik Haymond, 8-0 as well. Bridgeport’s No. 3 doubles team of Grant DuVall and Andrew Wilson downed Tyler Shingleton and Trey Shingleton, 8-3
For Lincoln sophomore Jade DeBerry, an 8-3 win over the Indians’ Olivia Rush, likely sealed a top seed in the regional.
DeBerry was also instrumental in the Cougars’ other girls win on the day, as she and Morgan Dewitt combined to stun the Bridgeport No. 2 duo of Leigh Hornor and Paige Rice, 8-5.
It was just Hornor and Rice’s second loss of the season.
“I think we’re finally clicking together,” Dewitt said. “We really didn’t know each other until tennis and now we’re like good friends.
“We’re hoping to keep this up.”
DeBerry agreed.
“We just weren’t ready to play at the beginning of the season because we were both pretty new to this and each other,” DeBerry said. “Hopefully, we can keep going like this.”
In other action on the day, the Indians were dominant.
No. 1 singles Taylor Abraham beat Hanna Stoper, 8-0, while Hornor topped Taylor Talkington, 8-6, in a competitive No. 2 singles matchup. Anna Wilfong downed Dewitt, 8-0, in No. 3 singles play.
In No. 1 doubles play, Abraham and Wilfong beat Stoper and Talkington, 8-6, while Rachel Lamm and Eleanor Noone beat Lincoln’s Savannah Sampson and Tori Beezil, 8-4, in No. 3 doubles action.
Sports writer Greg Talkington can be reached at 304-626-1406 or by email at gtalkington@theet.com
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