BOYS' TENNIS: 2016 champions retain titles

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on April 28, 2017 9:57 AM

• Print
• Email

rcoggins@newsargus.com

One bracket had no surprises.

The other, well, let's just say Greenville will get an extra coat of purple-and-gold paint next Friday.

Jake Williams successfully defended his Carolina 1-A Conference boys' singles title on a sultry Thursday afternoon on the John Allen Farfour Courts at Herman Park. The Princeton junior upended Rosewood's Marc Lewis 6-2, 7-5 in the title tilt.

Lewis' teammates dominated the doubles.

The top-seeded tandem of Collin Pendergraph-Chase Bartlett emerged as the Carolina champs for the second consecutive year with a 6-2, 6-2 decision over freshman twins Cole and Kyle Matthews.

All six advance to the east 1-A regionals, which begin May 5 at River Birch Tennis Center.

"I'm really proud of Marc and Jacob," RHS head coach Daniel Baynes said. "It's not an easy task to go out there and play tough competition in singles -- especially when you have to play three matches to win the whole thing.

"Marc's legs let him down a little bit in the finals, but Jake is a worthy opponent. Congratulations to him."

Williams (13-3) advanced with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over scrappy Elias Soto of Spring Creek. Lewis survived 6-3, 7-6 (4) over Spring Creek's Lowell Smothers in the other semifinal.

Pendergraph-Bartlett eliminated the Bulldogs' Blaine Phillips-Lane Woodall in straight-set fashion during the semifinals. The Matthews siblings bounced back from an opening-set loss to defeat second-seeded Garrett Klein-Alan Farrior 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.

"I'm so proud of our number one and number two doubles teams," Baynes said. "The twins...they've come a long way. They are 'court rats.' They love to be out on the court playing the game.

"I'm looking for great things from them in the future."

SC's doubles of Aubrey Pollock-Matthew Morton and Rolondo Rios-Joseph Lebron each suffered a first-round loss.