May 09, 2008 12:29 am
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From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Joplin High School parlayed a doubles championship with a 2-3 finish in singles to repeat as Class 2 boys tennis district team champion Thursday at the Cooper Complex in Springfield.
The Eagles finished with 30 points, four ahead of runner-up and Ozark Conference rival Glendale.
“We knew Glendale was our biggest competition,” Joplin coach Sean McWilliams said. “We lost two duals and the conference tournament to Glendale this year. The kids worked hard in practice and came in very motivated to defend our (district team) title from last year.”
Central was third with 19, followed by Ozark 15, Neosho and Nixa 131/2, Kickapoo 12, Hillcrest 81/2 and Parkview 41/2.
As district winner, the Eagles will be the host for a regional match against Ozark, tentatively scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday.
Joplin’s Michael McCreary and Alan Liu lived up to their No. 1 seed in the doubles bracket, beating Belote-Simon of Central 6-3, 6-4 in the championship round. The Joplin team survived a three-set match with Andy Collins-Adam Hammons of Glendale in the second round, prevailing 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.
In singles the Eagles’ John Lazenby and Chris Ingle finished second and third, respectively, matching their seeds.
Lazenby lost just three games in the first three rounds before losing to top-seeded Paul Nahon of Glendale 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. Lazenby beat Nahon last week in the conference tournament final.
Ingle breezed in his first two matches before losing to Nahon 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinals. Ingle won the third place match over Spencer Pilkington of Ozark 9-8, taking the tiebreaker 7-2.
The Eagles’ No. 2 doubles team of Cody Maples-Matt McCreary lost to Belote-Simon 6-0, 6-1 in the first round.
“The kids played up to their expectations for the tournament,” McWilliams said. “Everybody placed where they were seeded. I felt like we had a good day and we played up to our means. As long as we continue to do that, we will continue to have a successful postseason.
Two Neosho entries, Chad Dwyer in singles and Matt Garrity-Bo Mahr in doubles, won their first-round match before losing in the quarterfinals.
Class 1 district
Thomas Jefferson is the host for a Class 1 district tournament today and Saturday.
After a seeding meeting at 9 a.m., first-round matches will begin at 10. Play continues through the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles, and the semifinals and finals in both divisions will be played Saturday.
Joining the host Cavaliers in the district are Bolivar, Carthage, Greenwood, Monett, Mount Vernon, Nevada, New Covenant, Reeds Spring, Republic, Springfield Catholic and Webb City.
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