Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Rockbridge County High School boys tennis team split a pair of Shenandoah District matches, falling at home against Waynesboro 5-4 on Monday of last week before earning a 7-2 road win over Alleghany on Thursday.
The Wildcats concluded the week at 8-4, both overall and in the district.
Waynesboro (8-2 overall and district) completed a sweep of the regular-season series with RC. When the teams met on March 26 at Waynesboro, the Little Giants won 6-3. RC winners last Monday were Joe Vargas at No. 1, Jaxon Johnson at No. 2, Tyler Watson at No. 4, and Vargas and Johnson at No. 1 doubles. Of Johnson’s 8-0 win in singles, RC head coach Scott Youngdahl said Johnson “probably had his most complete singles match of the year.”
At Alleghany (6-5 overall, 4-5 district), the Wildcats avenged a 7-2 home loss on March 30, when they were missing No. 3 singles player Dean Fafatas and had to move other players up. In the rematch, the Wildcats won four of six singles contests, including a win by Fafatas, and all three doubles matches.
One of the highlights was Vargas winning 8-6 at No. 1 singles. “Joe really played well,” said Youngdahl. “He really pulled it out, played some good angles.”
The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to Wilson Memorial on Monday and will conclude the regular season with a district match at Stuarts Draft on Thursday. They’ll then prepare for the district singles and doubles tournament and the Region 3C team tournament.
RC 7, AHS 2
SINGLES – Joe Vargas (RC) d. Bubby Entsminger (A) 8-6; Jaxon Johnson (RC) d. Ayven Warren (A) 8-4; Dean Fafatas (RC) d. Riley Smith (A) 8-1; Tyler Watson (RC) d. Colten Jones (A) 8-2; Parker Willis (A) d. Rachit Yakkanti (RC) 8-2; Quinten Harris (A) d. Elliott Allen (RC) 9-7.
DOUBLES – Vargas and Johnson (RC) d. Jaxon Brewster and Riley Smith (A) 8-2; Fafatas and Watson (RC) d. Warren and Wills (A) 9-7; Yakkanti and Allen (RC) d. Jones and Harris (A) 9-8 (7-2 tiebreak).
WHS 5, RC 4
SINGLES – Vargas (RC) d. Landon Matheny (W) 8-3; Johnson (RC) d. Sean Lealde (W) 8-0; Gavin Hodgson (W) d. Fafatas (RC) 9-8 (8-6 tiebreak); Watson (RC) d. Caleb Hawyood (W) 8-2; Aidan Campbell (W) d. Yakkanti (RC) 8-1; Rileigh Johnson (W) d. Allen (RC) 9-8 (8-6 tiebreak).
DOUBLES – Vargas and Johnson (RC) d. Matheny and Lealde (W) 8-3; Hodgson and Haywood (W) d. Fafatas and Watson (RC) 8-3; Campbell and Johnson (W) d. Yakkanti and Allen (RC) 8-3.
