Wildcats Pick Up Win At Riverheads, 6-3
Getting off to a strong start to the season, the Rockbridge County High School boys tennis team earned a 6-3 road win over Shenandoah District rival Riverheads in the season opener Thursday. The Wildcats then played host to district rival Staunton on Friday and were tied 4-4 before the match was stopped due to darkness.
Against Riverheads (0-1), RC won three of six singles matches and all three doubles contests. Winning in singles for the Wildcats were their top two players, sophomore Joe Vargas at No. 1 and senior Jaxon Johnson at No. 2, along with senior Tyler Watson at No. 5.
In the closest of the three doubles matches, Vargas and Johnson teamed up at No. 1 for an 8-6 victory. “I’m really happy with their play,” said RC head coach Scott Youngdahl.
Youngdahl, starting his third year at the helm of the program and assisted by Brian Barney, also praised senior Dean Fafatas, who battled to an 8-6 win at No. 6. Fafatas, one of the leaders on the Wildcats’ golf team that won the district title last fall, is playing high school tennis for the first time.
In their home opener Friday, the Wildcats played competitive match against Staunton (0-1). After the Storm won two of three doubles matches, the Wildcats battled back in singles action to tie the match 4-4. In the deciding match at No. 5 singles, Staunton’s Paxton Glasser led RC senior Tyler Watson 8-7 before the match was stopped due to darkness. The match will be finished at Staunton on Thursday, April 16, and then the teams will play each other again.
The Wildcats look to build on the success of last year’s team, which went 12-5 overall and made it to the Region 3C quarterfinals, concluding the year with a 5-3 loss to Turner Ashby. The Wildcats graduated four of their top six singles players last year, led by Nic Vargas at No. 1 and Nic Faulds at No. 2. Returning from the top six are Joe Vargas, who played at No. 4 last year, and Johnson, who played at No. 5.
Following seven years in the Valley District, the Wildcats have moved to the Shenandoah District. Due to renovations at the Lexington Golf & Country Club, they’re playing their home matches at the high school courts.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to Fort Defiance on Monday and will continue district action today, Wednesday at Wilson Memorial before playing at Waynesboro on Thursday and then playing host to Alleghany on Monday. All matches are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
RC 6, Riverheads 3
SINGLES – Joe Vargas (RC) d. Riley Dunlap (R) 8-3; Jaxon Johnson (RC) d. Copper Arehart (R) 8-3; Dean Fafatas (RC) d. Jake Argenbright (R) 8-6; Joel Maybush (R) d. Elliott Allen (RC) 8-2; Tyler Watson (RC) d. Sean Miller (R) 8-3; Andy Fox (R) d. Rachit Yakkanti (R) 8-4.
DOUBLES – Vargas and Johnson (RC) d. Dunlap and Maybush (R) 8-6; Arehart and Argenbright (R) d. Fafatas and Allen (RC) 8-1; Watson and Yakkanti (RC) d. Miller and Ryder Neely (R) 8-5.
RC 4, Staunton 4
(stopped due to darkness) SINGLES – Vargas (RC) d. Garrett Kane (S) 8-2; Johnson (RC) d. Brooks Hansen (S) 8-6; Sam Graves (S) d. Fafatas (RC) 8-4; Mason Shreckhise (S) d. Allen (RC) 8-1; Paxton Gasser (S) leads Watson (RC) 8-7 (stopped due to darkness); Yakkanti (RC) d. Justin Gao (S) 8-1.
DOUBLES – Vargas and Johnson (RC) d. Kane and Hansen (S) 8-3; Graves and Gasser (S) d. Fafatas and Watson (RC) 8-6; Shreckhise and Gao (S) d. Allen and Yakkanti (RC) 8-6.
WILDCAT SOPHOMORE Joe Vargas hits a backhand return during his win at No. 1 singles. (Jonathan Schwab photo)
