Manchester Academy’s Nettie Taylor Barbour and Margaret Dent won the MAIS AAA girls’ #1 doubles state championship Wednesday in Vicksburg, while the MA girls’ team won the AAA state runner-up trophy and the MA boys’ team finished fourth in the state tournament.
“I am excited for our team,” said Maverick Coach Debbie Crisler. “The main thing about this team is they work hard to get better and better, so it’s nice to see that hard work pay off with such outstanding results on the court.”
Barbour and Dent, both seniors, defeated Emma Hogue and Marty Lewis of Natchez Cathedral 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals to play for the state doubles title. The Mavericks cruised through the first set against Cathedral playing dominating tennis, but fell behind 1-4 in the second set before regrouping to win five straight games to advance to the championship match where they faced Heritage Academy’s Haley Barker and Abby Ames. The Mavs narrowly defeated Barker and Ames at North State last week in a three-set match, but Barbour and Dent played consistently at an even higher level at the state tournament and defeated the Heritage team 6-4, 6-3.
“They scared me to death in the middle of the season, because I thought they were having senior jitters because they wanted to win so badly in their last year,” commented Crisler as she reflected on the season. “But they never looked back. Every time they got down in post-season play, they were just clutch. It was fun to watch, and I am so proud of Margaret and Nettie Taylor.”
This was Barbour’s first individual state title, but Dent won a state doubles championship in the 7th grade partnered with Mary Morgan Mohammed. Interestingly, Dent’s maternal great-grandmother, Christine Holt Hutcheson, won the Mississippi state doubles title in 1934 and Dent followed in her footsteps for a second time 83 years later.
MA’s Elizabeth Turner and Mary Sibley McGraw made a determined comeback in their opening match at the state tournament against the South’s #1 seed in #2 girls’ doubles from Natchez Cathedral defeating Natalie Fletcher and Grace Anne White 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. It was an exhausting, nearly three-hour match played in the hot sun. Meanwhile, their St. Al rivals won an easy 6-0, 6-0 victory in their semi-final match. Turner and McGraw appeared to run out of steam against conference foes Ashley Jarratt and Taylor Chewning in the finals and lost 6-2, 6-3.
Josie Coker, an MA junior, fell behind 3-0 in the early play against Dixie Hodges of Laurel Christian in her semi-final match, but stormed back to win a tough 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 victory over the South’s #1 seed in #2 girls’ singles. Coker then faced Elise Piazza of St. Aloysius for the fourth time this season in the finals and despite playing some inspired tennis was unable to defeat Piazza for the state title falling 6-4, 6-1.
“Our girls’ team should be strong next year led by three seniors with state tournament experience,” added Crisler. “Elizabeth and Mary Sibley should do great next year. They get to everything. Josie is going to find someone to play with and she wants someone better than she is to hit with because Josie is going to come back with the ball time and time again.”
Matt Carroll, the only MA boy who advanced to the state tournament, also knocked off a #1 seed from the South by defeating Turner Hughes of Laurel Christian 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 in the semi-finals of #2 boys’ singles. Carroll advanced to the championship match to face highly regarded and defending state champion Tyler Sartucci of Greenville St. Joe. Carroll, a 9th grader, started the match off well ripping winners and getting to everything Sartucci offered and won the first game. Sartucci, unfazed, won the next twelve games and defeated Carroll 6-1, 6-0, but Carroll made an impressive debut at his first state tournament with his all-court game.
“Matt Carroll’s game has grown and grown,” commented Crisler. “Matt has a lot of natural talent and he works. He wants to play. I am looking for big things from Matt next year.”
The Maverick girls’ team actually tied St Aloysius with 4 points, but lost a tie-breaker giving the state title to their conference rivals from Vicksburg. The MA girls had narrowly defeated St. Al the last two weeks before at the North State and Conference tournaments, but the Flashes won two state titles to MA’s one and that gave St. Al the tie-breaker. Greenville St. Joe dominated boys’ play winning the state title, with Silliman in 2nd, Laurel Christian in 3rd and MA in a tie for 4th with Kirk and Heritage.
