Wildcats Defeat FD, Fall To WM, Waynesboro
Playing three Shenandoah District matches in four days last week, the Rockbridge County High School boys tennis team earned an 8-1 home win over Fort Defiance last Monday before falling 7-2 at Wilson Memorial last Wednesday and 6-3 at Waynesboro on Thursday.
The Wildcats ended the week at 2-2, both overall and in the district.
Against Fort (0-3 overall, 0-2 district), the Wildcats won three matches by forfeit because the Indians didn’t have anyone at No. 3 doubles nor at No. 5 and No. 6 singles. Of the matches played, the Wildcats won three of four singles matches and both doubles contests.
“We played pretty well,” said RC head coach Scott Youngdahl.
In their two road matches, the Wildcats were playing without their No. 2 player, senior Jaxon Johnson, who was away on college visits.
Wilson Memorial (3-0 overall and district) won five of six singles matches and two of three doubles contests. The lone RC singles winner was Joe Vargas, earning a 9-7 win at No. 1, and Dean Fafatas stepped into Johnson’s spot at No. 1 doubles and teamed up with Vargas to win 8-5. Youngdahl said Fafatas “more than held his own.”
Against Waynesboro (2-0 overall and district), Vargas and Fafatas won at No. 1 doubles, and Vargas took the victory at No. 1 singles. The closest match of the day was at No. 3 singles, where RC’s Tyler Watson battled for a 9-8 (8-7 tiebreak) win. The team result had already been decided, but Youngdahl said the athletic Watson was “playing because he could, playing with heart. That’s a big win for Tyler.”
The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to Alleghany on Monday for their only match this week, and they’ll continue district action when they play host to Stuarts Draft next Monday at 4:30 p.m.
RC 8, FD 1
SINGLES – Joe Vargas (RC) d. Landon Jarvis (FD) 8-0; Jaxon Johnson (RC) d. Hunter Breeden (FD) 8-0; Dean Fafatas (RC) d. Landyn Rose (FD) 9-7; Camden Smith (FD) d. Elliott Allen (RC) 9-8 (8-6 tiebreak); Tyler Watson (RC) won by forfeit; Rachit Yakkanti (RC) won by forfeit.
DOUBLES – Vargas and Johnson (RC) d. Jarvis and Rose (FD) 8-1; Fafatas and Watson (RC) d. Breeden and Smith (FD) 8-1; Allen and Yakkanti (RC) won by forfeit.
WM 7, RC 2
SINGLES – Vargas d. Drew Pumphrey (RC) 9-7; Baylor Quick (WM) d. Fafatas (RC) 8-1; Maddox Perry (WM) d. Watson (RC) 8-1; Ben Carver (WM) d. Allen (RC) 8-1; Parker Eimers (WM) d. Yakkanti (RC) 8-2; Luke Layman-Wenger (WM) d. Jacob Barney (RC) 8-0.
DOUBLES – Vargas and Fafatas (RC) d. Pumphrey and Quick (WM) 8-5; Perry and Carver (WM) d. Watson and Yakkanti (RC) 8-2; Eimers and Layman-Wenger (WM) d. Allen and Barney (RC) 8-0.
WHS 6, RC 3
SINGLES – Vargas (RC) d. Landon Matheny (W) 8-5; Sean Terence Lealde (W) d. Fafatas (RC) 8-4; Watson (RC) d. Gavin Hodgson (W) 9-8 (9-7 tiebreak); Caleb Haywood (W) d. Allen (RC) 8-0; Aidan Campbell (W) d. Yakkanti (RC) 8-4; Rileigh Johnson (W) d. Barney (RC) 8-0.
DOUBLES – Vargas and Fafatas (RC) d. Matheny and Leadle (W) 8-4; Hodgson and Haywood (W) d. Watson and Yakkanti (RC) 8-3; Campbell and Johnson (W) d. Allen and Barney (RC) 8-3.
