The Rockbridge County High School boys tennis team suffered a 7-2 home loss to Shenandoah District rival Alleghany on Monday of last week.
With their only match of the week, the Wildcats fell to 2-3, while Alleghany improved to 3-1, both overall and in the district.
Alleghany won two of three doubles matches and five of six singles contests.
The lone singles winner for RC was senior Jaxon Johnson, returning from a week of college visits to earn an 8-2 victory over Riley Smith. At No. 1 doubles, Johnson teamed up with sophomore Joe Vargas to win 8-3. RC was missing its No. 3 singles player, Dean Fafatas, who was away on college visits.
The Wildcats battled at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles before falling 8-6 in both contests.
Learning from the loss to the Cougars, RC head coach Scott Youngdahl said, “We’ve just got to be more aggressive, pick our spots, and dictate play a little.”
Youngdahl said Alleghany head coach Seth Davis “runs a good program. They’ve got great kids.”
The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to Stuarts Draft on Monday. After spring break, the Wildcats will continue district action at Staunton next Thursday, April 16, at 4:30 p.m., concluding a match that was stopped due to darkness on March 20 in Lexington and then playing Staunton again.
AHS 7, RC 2
SINGLES – Bubby Entsminger (A) d. Joe Vargas (RC) 8-4; Jaxon Johnson (RC) d. Riley Smith (A) 8-2; Ayven Warren (A) d. Tyler Watson (RC) 8-6; Colten Jones (A) d. Elliott Allen (RC) 8-2; Quinten Jones (A) d. Rachit Yakkanti (RC) 8-1; Spencer Tallman (A) d. Jacob Barney (RC) 8-4. DOUBLES – Vargas and Johnson (RC) d. Entsminger and Smith (A) 8-3; Warren and C. Jones (A) d. Watson and Yakkanti (RC) 8-6; Q. Jones and Tallman (A) d. Allen and Barney (RC) 8-6.
