Rockmart’s Ava Shae Culver moves up for a return during her No. 2 singles match against Cedartown at the Cedartown High School courts on Monday, Feb. 27.
Cedartown’s Kam Palacios hits a return during his No. 2 singles match against Rockmart at the Cedartown High School tennis courts on Monday, Feb. 27.
Rockmart’s Ava Shae Culver moves up for a return during her No. 2 singles match against Cedartown at the Cedartown High School courts on Monday, Feb. 27.
Jeremy Stewart
Rockmart’s Ava Shae Culver moves up for a return during her No. 2 singles match against Cedartown at the Cedartown High School courts on Monday, Feb. 27.
Jeremy Stewart
Cedartown’s Kam Palacios hits a return during his No. 2 singles match against Rockmart at the Cedartown High School tennis courts on Monday, Feb. 27.
Jeremy Stewart
Rockmart’s Maddie Owens follows through on a hit back to her Cedartown opponents during her No. 1 doubles match on Monday, Feb. 27.
Jeremy Stewart
Cedartown’s Barclay Barnes sets up for a hit during his No. 1 singles match against Rockmart at the Cedartown High School courts on Monday, Feb. 27.
Jeremy Stewart
Cedartown's Alyssa Parham eyes the ball for a return during her No. 2 singles match against Rockmart on Monday, Feb. 27.
As both Cedartown and Rockmart tennis programs have trended upwards in recent years, the meeting of the two has become intriguing to watch. Their first battle this season was no different.
With many matches going long and even into a 10-point tiebreaker for a third set, the two Polk County schools battled at Cedartown’s courts on Monday, Feb. 28, with the Cedartown boys winning 3-1 and the Rockmart girls getting a sweep over the Lady Bulldogs, 5-0.
The Rockmart girls had to put in some extra effort to take all of their varsity matches, with three of the five going to a third set.
Emma Scott had to fight to the end in both sets of a 7-6, 7-5 win over Reagan Clarke at No. 1 singles. Ava Shae Culver won 1-6, 6-3, 10-8 over Alyssa Parham at No. 2 singles, and the No. 3 singles match also went to the 10-point tiebreak as Ansley Lanier defeated Jimena Escutia, 1-6, 6-4, 10-8.
Rockmart’s Maddie Owens and Madi Sanders overcame a first-set loss to rally back against Edy Lee and Ariana Klemke and win 3-6, 6-1, 10-4 at No. 1 doubles. Emma Barber and Summer Waits won 6-0, 6-4 over Lusero Escutia and Addyson Haynes.
The boys’ matches saw fewer marathon contests as Cedartown set up their victory early on and closed out the evening before rain forced the suspension of the No. 2 doubles match.
The Bulldogs’ Barclay Barnes won 6-1, 6-2 over Mark Blalock at No. 1 singles, while Kam Palacios picked up a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ty Carlton at the No. 2 spot.
The No. 1 doubles team of Sam Arnold and Spencer Hicks won 6-0, 6-3 over Evan Ragsdale and Donovan Scoggins for Cedartown’s other win of the eventing. Rockmart’s Anderson McLendon forced a 10-point tiebreak against Kade Dougherty at No. 3 singles and won 4-6, 6-4, 10-7.
Cedartown was back on the court last Tuesday hosting Coosa, this time both the boys and girls got convincing team wins with the Bulldogs sweeping the Eagles 5-0 and the Lady Dawgs winning 4-1 while playing Pro-8 sets.
Barclay Barnes won 8-1 and Kam Palacios won 8-0 at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots. Coosa forfeited the No. 3 match.
Sam Arnold and Spencer Hicks won 8-1 at the No. 1 doubles spot and Luke Orebaugh and John Alvin Kelley won 8-0 at No. 2 doubles.
Cedartown’s girls got wins from Reagan Clarke (8-2), Alyssa Parham (8-5) Jimena Escutia (8-1), and Lusero Escutia and AnnaKate Bussey (8-6).
Rockmart traveled to Bremen on March 1 with the Lady Jackets getting a 4-1 victory over the Lady Blue Devils after a battle.
Ava Shae Culver rallied back for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2 singles while Ansley Lanier won 7-5, 7-5 at the No. 3 spot. Maddie Owens and Madi Sanders won 6-2, 6-1, and Emma Barber and Summer Waits won 7-5, 6-1.
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