The Manchester Academy tennis team, the 2015 MAIS AAA state boys and girls champions, began its 2017 season on Tuesday with a 5-4 loss against defending MAIS State AA champions Newton County Academy at the Yazoo Country Club.
“We are excited about a new season and have a mix of seasoned and brand new players,” commented Maverick tennis coach Debbie Crisler. “We are led by four returning players who reached the state championship tournament last year - Margaret Dent, Nettie Taylor Barbour, Elizabeth Turner and Mary Sibley McGraw. They give us a strong foundation in our girls doubles, and our girls’ team has a lot of potential for this year.”
“The boys’ team is younger and less experienced,” added Crisler. “Freshmen Upton Hitt, Matt Carroll and Reid Bain played varsity last year and are all strong players, but the other four boys are first-timers for us. We have some good, young athletes and it will be fun to see how much they improve during the season.”
Maverick seniors Margaret Dent and Nettie Taylor Barbour led the team with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Kayla Douglass and Raley Hillhouse of NCA in #1 girls doubles. On the adjacent court, junior Elizabeth Turner and sophomore Mary Sibley McGraw easily defeated Piper Rose and Marla Graham 6-1, 6-1 in #2 girls doubles. Junior Josie Coker also picked up a strong win by defeating Bethany Wellerman 6-3, 6-2 in #2 girls singles.
Matt Carroll started the season impressively and won the lone Maverick boys match 6-2, 6-1 in #2 boys singles over Micah Douglass.
Monica Morrison, a freshman, lost 6-3, 6-1 in a competitive match at #1 girls singles to Alex Tindall, while the Mavericks’ #1 boys singles player Upton Hitt lost 6-0, 6-0 to Chase Rigdon.
The Maverick boys doubles teams both lost, but showed a great deal of potential for the future. Freshman Reid Bain and 8th grader Will Peeler teamed up at #1 boys doubles, but lost to Luke Alexander and Zach Upton 6-3, 6-4. Staten Greenlee and Tres Paul, both 8th graders, lost 6-0, 6-2 in #2 boys doubles to Ethan McDill and Sage Gunn.
Finally, MA’s mixed doubles team of freshman Zach Haynes and 8th grader Ann Hampton Wells lost to Sara Mazzella and Braden Smith.
The Mavericks played Central Hinds Academy Friday afternoon in Raymond and have three matches scheduled for next week – Canton Academy on Monday in Yazoo City; Pillow Academy on Tuesday in Yazoo City and Park Place Academy in Jackson on Friday.
