Prep tennis

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on October 6, 2004 1:55 PM

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Rams clinch 11th straight league championship

Greene Central clinched its 11th consecutive Classes 1-A/2-A Carolina/Eastern Plains Conference regular-season girls tennis title with a 9-0 victory against Spring Creek at Walnut Creek on Tuesday afternoon.

The Rams (20-2, 15-0 C/EPC) extended their conference-match win streak to 115 and produced a 20-win season for the fourth consecutive year. They continue play this afternoon at traditional 3-A power Charles B. Aycock.

"Spring Creek played much better against us today than the first match in Snow Hill," veteran Greene Central coach Donald Clark said. "I was impressed with the improvement. Robert Jones has four starters back from last year's 1-A state finalist team, and today Spring Creek looked much more like they did last year."

The Gators showed the most improvement in doubles.

Greene Central's tandem of Meredith Rouse-Sarah Moore prevailed 8-4 against Stacy Smith-Sarah Warren at No. 1. The Rams' No. 3 doubles of Michelle Jernigan-Carolyn Turk escaped 8-6 against Cynthia Breault-Sarah Bragg.

"We played well," Jones said. "It was one of the better matches we have played all year."

Rouse, Moore, Summer Chase, Holly Mace, Christi Murphy and Ashley Harrell each collected a singles win for the Rams. Rouse (18-4), Murphy (21-1) and Harrell (21-1) each posted a shutout.

"Christi stroked the ball well today in singles," Clark said. "She was extremely consistent with her backhand and forehand."

Spring Creek (12-4, 10-4) travel to Farmville Central this afternoon.

Greene Central 9,

Spring Creek 0

Singles -- No. 1 Meredith Rouse (GC) d. Stacy Smith 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 Sarah Moore (GC) d. Sarah Warren 6-0, 6-4; No. 3 Summer Chase (GC) d. Kelly Murphy 6-1, 6-0; No. 4 Holly Mace (GC) d. Melanie Harlow 6-1, 6-0; No. 5 Christi Murphy (GC) d. Cynthia Breault 6-0, 6-0; No. 6 Ashley Harrell (GC) d. Sarah Bragg 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles -- No. 1 Rouse-Moore (GC) d. Smith-Warren 8-4; No. 2 Murphy-Harrell (GC) d. Harlow-K. Murphy 8-2; No. 3 Michelle Jernigan-Carolyn Turk (GC) d. Breault-Bragg 8-6.

Golden Falcons

cruise in ECC

PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock remained unbeaten in 12 Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference matches with a highly-competitive 7-1 victory against county rival Eastern Wayne.

"The scores were not indicative of play," veteran Eastern Wayne coach Nancy Dawson said. "(There were) long points and time-consuming games. A lot (of games) went to deuce."

Aycock's Nicole Taylor survived a tight second-set play at No. 4 singles, while sixth-seeded Hadley Peacock needed a third-set tiebreaker to upend Ashley Miller 6-7 (8), 6-4, 7-5.

"Nicole and Hadley played really well on the big points," Aycock coach Luke Vail said.

Sophomore Raychel Batts, Leslie Sasser and Claiborne each picked up a straight-set win in singles. Neither Batts nor Sasser lost a game, while Claiborne stumbled once in the second set against Tricia Chatman.

"Raychel, Leslie and Carlyn did a really good job of keeping their opponents on the run," Vail said. "This match was a quality conference win against a solid Eastern Wayne team."

The Warriors' Ashley Smith claimed a 6-4, 7-5 victory against Laine Purcell at the No. 5 spot.

C.B. Aycock (16-1) entertains Greene Central at 3:30 p.m. today.

C.B. Aycock 7, Eastern Wayne 1

Singles -- No. 1 Raychel Batts (CBA) d. Anna Weeks 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 Leslie Sasser (CBA) d. Brandi Butts 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 Carlyn Claiborne (CBA) d. Tricia Chatman 6-0, 6-1; No. 4 Nicole Taylor (CBA) d. Lauren Bynum 6-2, 7-5; No. 5 Ashley Smith (CBA) d. Laine Purcell 6-4, 7-5; No. 6 Hadley Peacock (CBA) d. Ashley Miller 6-7 (8), 6-4, 7-5.

Doubles -- No. 1 Sasser-Claiborne (CBA) d. Weeks-Butts 8-1; No. 2 Batts-Taylor (CBA) d. Chatman-Bynum 8-3; No. 3 not contested.

Tarboro dashes

Hawks' playoff run

TARBORO -- Tarboro High prevailed in five of six singles matches and dashed North Lenoir's dual-team playoff hopes with a 6-3 victory in Carolina/Eastern Plains 1-A/2-A action Tuesday afternoon.

The Vikings clinched the EPC's No. 2 seed for the N.C. High School Athletic Association dual-team playoffs which begin Oct. 19. It is Tarboro's first postseason appearance since 2000.

"Today was a big day for the team," first-year Hawks coach Courtney Harrell said. "We had to win today to stay in the race for a playoff spot, and it was also our last home match. Tarboro is an excellent team."

Morgan Worthington claimed North Lenoir's lone singles win 7-5, 6-0 against Robin Ellis. Worthington and Mary-Linton Smith triumphed 8-4 at No. 1 doubles. Teammates Julie Thomas-Haley Johnson -- both seniors -- earned an 8-5 win at the No. 3 spot.

Harrell cited the solid play of Worthington-Linton Smith.

"These two girls just click and it's amazing what they can do together on the court," Harrell said.

North Lenoir (9-10, 8-6) faces SouthWest Edgecombe on Thursday.

Tarboro 6, North Lenoir 3

Singles -- No. 1 Morgan Worthington (NL) d. Robin Ellis 7-5, 6-0; No. 2 Minta Dupree (T) d. Mary-Linton Smith 6-3, 6-4; No. 3 Alison Thompson (T) d. Debbie Vandiford 6-1, 6-3; No. 4 Jasmine Burroughs (T) d. Ruthanne Hardy 6-1, 6-3; No. 5 Emily Spain (T) d. Rachel Sasser 6-4, 6-0; No. 6 Miranda Spain (T) d. Heather Phillips 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles -- Scores incomplete.

Goldsboro eases

past So. Wayne

Goldsboro celebrated Senior Night with a 6-3 victory against Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference foe Southern Wayne on the Herman Park courts Tuesday.

Seniors Jessica Faison, Quionna Bryant and Nicki Garner each picked up a singles win for the Cougars -- who knocked off the Saints for the second time this season.

Faison upended Beth Brown 6-3, 6-1 at the No. 1 spot. Garner, the third seed, outlasted Tara Tillman 4-6, 6-3, 7-4. Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Bryant shut out Emily Taylor 6-0, 6-0.

Ja'Tericka McClary also earned a singles win for Goldsboro.

The Saints' Christy Westbrook and Katie Savage triumphed at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively. Teammates Lauren Harrell-Emily Taylor claimed an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles.

Goldsboro concludes regular-season play at home Thursday against James Kenan. The Cougars' next ECC outing is the conference tournament on Oct. 14 at Herman Park.

Goldsboro 6, Southern Wayne 3

Singles -- No. 1 Jessica Faison (G) d. Beth Brown 6-3, 6-1; No. 2 Ja'Tericka McClary (G) d. Whitli Thornton 6-3, 6-3; No. 3 Nicki Garner (G) d. Tara Tillman 4-6, 6-3, 7-4; No. 4 Quionna Bryant (G) d. Emily Taylor 6-0, 6-0; No. 5 Christy Westbrook (SW) d. Honesty Floyd 6-1, 6-2; No. 6 Katie Savage (SW) d. LaDonna Richardson 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles -- No. 1 Faison-Bryant (G) d. Brown-Thornton 8-1; No. 2 Garner-McClary (G) d. Kasey Powell-Leslie Barrow 8-6; No. 3 Lauren Harrell-Emily Taylor (SW) d. Floyd-Tangikia Fields 8-5.

Wayne Christian

takes CCC match

Wayne Christian swept the singles and doubles matches en route to a 9-0 decision against Johnston Christian in a Carolina Christian 1-A Conference match.

Jennica Botonis climbed to 9-0 at the No. 1 singles slot with a 6-0, 6-0 win against Johnston's Anna Hall. Teammates Lauralee Hodson, Bianca Wall, Mary Elizabeth West, Catie Fairchild and Stacie McCary each claimed a singles win as well.

West is also undefeated this season.

Wayne Christian (7-2, 4-2 CCC) entertains Durham Cresset Christian next Monday afternoon.

Wayne Christian 9,

Johnston Christian 0

Singles -- No. 1 Jennica Botonis (WCS) d. Anna Hall 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 Lauralee Hodson (WCS) d. Olivia Juarez 6-1, 6-3; No. 3 Bianca Wall (WCS) d. Ashley Howell 6-2, 6-0; No. 4 Mary Elizabeth West (WCS) d. Dianna Williams 6-1, 6-1; No. 5 Catie Fairchild (WCS) d. Ginger Messer 6-1, 6-0; No. 6 Stacie McCary (WCS) d. Ashley Delahooke 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles -- No. 1 Botonis-Hodson (WCS) d. Hall-Jaurez 8-1; No. 2 Wall-West (WCS) d. Howell-Williams 8-3; No. 3 Fairchild-McCary (WCS) d. Messer-Delahooke 8-1.

JV

Aycock rolls

over Warriors

C.B. Aycock swept the singles and doubles, and took a 9-0 victory against county rival Eastern Wayne on Tuesday afternoon.

Katie Perry, Kristen Prosser, Emilee Quinn, Kristen Bennett, Mallory Strickland and Kara Kelly each won a singles match for the Golden Falcons.

The tandems of Perry-Prosser, Quinn-Kelly and Bennett-Strickland each prevailed in doubles play.

Aycock improved to 10-5 overall.

C.B. Aycock 9, Eastern Wayne 0

Singles -- No. 1 Katie Perry (CBA) d. Karry Burnette 8-0; No. 2 Kristen Prosser (CBA) d. Nicole Fine 8-0; No. 3 Emilee Quinn (CBA) d. Cindy Clarkson 8-0; No. 4 Kristen Bennett (CBA) d. Sarah Carpenter 8-0; No. 5 Mallory Strickland (CBA) d. Kate Brantley 8-0; No. 6 Kara Kelly (CBA) d. Minerva Rodriguez 8-0.

Doubles -- No. 1 Perry-Prosser (CBA) d. Burnette-Fine 8-1; No. 2 Quinn-Kelly (CBA) d. Clarkson-Brantley 8-1; No. 3 Bennett-Strickland (CBA) d. Rodriguez-Carpenter 8-3.