The Rockbridge County High School boys tennis team won a trio of matches last week to extend its winning streak to six matches.
The Wildcats (8-1 overall, 5-1 district) started the week with a 5-4 road win over Valley District Turner Ashby on Tuesday of last week before earning a 6-3 nondistrict home win over Staunton last Wednesday. They finished the week with a 7-0 home win over district rival Rocktown on Friday in a match that was shortened by a thunderstorm.
Against TA (7-2, 3-2), the Wildcats won two of three doubles matches and split the six singles contests. At No. 1 doubles, Gardner Clement was stepping in for Nic Faulds, out with a stomach issue, and teamed up with Nic Vargas for an 8-6 win. Wildcats Joe Vargas and Jaxon Johnson won 8-6 at No. 2 doubles.
Praising his doubles teams, RC head coach Scott Youngdahl said, “We were playing pretty well. Because we communicate well, because we play a lot of doubles, I’m almost always expecting to win two out of three doubles.”
Singles winners for the Wildcats were Nic Vargas at No. 1, Clement at No. 3, and Johnson at No. 5. Youngdahl said that, in the last couple of weeks, Nic Vargas, who won 8-1, “has been turning it up a notch.”
Because Faulds was out, the Wildcats moved freshman Elliott Allen up the ladder from his usual No. 9 spot to No. 2, and he gave a solid effort in an 8-2 loss. Youngdahl was pleased with how his team stepped up for the win, despite being shorthanded.
Youngdahl said the Knights are “a good team. They’re well coached. We’ve got nothing but respect for Turner Ashby.”
Facing Staunton (5-4) on Wednesday at the Lexington Country Club courts, the Wildcats swept the three doubles matches and split the singles contests. “We’ve always played those guys close,” said Youngdahl.
Clement only played doubles due to an ankle issue, but he and Joe Vargas teamed up for an 8-3 win at No. 2.
At No. 1 singles, Nic Vargas faced a tough opponent in Laurel Shelton, coming up short 8-4. Faulds stepped up at No. 2 with an 8-0 win over Sawyer Tuttle. “Nic Faulds utterly ripped the soul out of that guy,” said Youngdahl. Other RC singles winners were Joe Vargas at No. 3 and Johnson at No. 4.
Against Rocktown, the Wildcats swept the doubles matches and won four singles contests, including one by forfeit at No. 3 due to a Rocktown injury. Two matches were stopped due to a thunderstorm.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to TA on Monday before visiting Broadway yesterday. They’ll continue district action at Spotswood on Friday before playing at Staunton on Tuesday, and they’ll play host to district rival East Rockingham next Wednesday, May 7. All matches are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
RC 5, TA 4
SINGLES – Nic Vargas (RC) d. Tucker Bowman (TA) 8-1; Brandon Puffenbarger (TA) d. Elliott Allen (RC) 8-2; Gardner Clement (RC) d. John Kello (TA) 8-6; Henry Riner (TA) d. Joe Vargas (RC) 8-2; Jaxon Johnson (RC) d. Andrew Clark (TA) 8-5; Francis Kasten (TA) d. Sam Ballstaedt (RC) 8-1.
DOUBLES – N. Vargas and Clement (RC) d. Bowman and Puffenbarger (TA) 8-6; J. Vargas and Johnson (RC) d. Kello and Riner (TA) 8-6; Clark and Kasten (TA) d. Ballstaedt and Allen (RC) 8-1.
RC 6, Staunton 3
SINGLES – Laurel Shelton (S) d. N. Vargas (RC) 8-4; Nic Faulds (RC) d. Sawyer Tuttle (S) 8-0; J. Vargas (RC) d. August Schwaner (S) 8-1; Johnson (RC) d. Brooks Hansen (S) 8-3; Anthony Renne (S) d. Ballstaedt (RC) 8-4; Landen Baker (S) d. Theo Martini (RC) 8-4.
DOUBLES – N. Vargas and Faulds (RC) d. Shelton and Tuttle (S) 8-3; J. Vargas and Clement (RC) d. Hansen and Jonah Heishman (S) 8-3; Ballstaedt and Martini (RC) d. Renne and Garrett Kane (S) 8-4.
RC 6, Rocktown 0
SINGLES – N. Vargas (RC) d. Brady Beshoar (R) 8-3; Faulds (RC) d. Lleyton Steines (R) 8-5; Clement won by forfeit over Randall Joven (R); Lucas Maynard (R) led J. Vargas 7-6; Johnson (RC) d. Cole Johnson (R) 8-0; Henry Brown (R) led Ballstaedt (RC) 4-2.
DOUBLES – N. Vargas and Faulds (RC) won 8-2; Clement and J. Vargas (RC) led 4-1; Johnson and Ballstaedt (RC) won 8-4.
