BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

PIKEVILLE — Martin County tennis coach Josh Penix is building the high school tennis team and believes in playing the best to be the best. His girls and boys teams got that experience April 17 against the top-rated Pikeville Panthers in matches in Pikeville.

The girls lost 5-1, while the boys fell 12-2.

“Coming into this match with Pikeville, I knew it would be a battle facing the favorite in the region,” Penix said. “We were also short-handed in girls’ action due to sickness. However, I am happy with how we played with Pikeville in several matches. We had five or six close matches that could have gone either way.”

Girls singles

Four-seed Dakota Ward won her set 6-1.

One-seed Tamara Workman went up against the No. 3-ranked player in the 15th Region, Chloe Olegario and fell 6-0.

Two-seed Caitlyn Horn battled but lost two close sets 7-6 and 7-5.

“This match-up could have gone either way,” said Penix of Horn’s sets.

Three-seed Kennedy Mills lost her set 0-6. 

Girls doubles

One-seed Tamara Workman and Caitlyn Horn fell 8-1.

Grace Caldwell and Sarah Keener lost 6-0. 

Boys singles

Seven-seed Bryson Dials won his sets 6-4 and 4-0.

One-seed Caleb Horn lost to the fourth-ranked player in the region Ashton Tackett 6-4.

Two-seed Brayden Cook dropped his set 6-2.

Three-seed Bryon Marcum lost a close set 7-5.

Four-seed Cory Jarrell lost 6-0.

Five-seed Levi Howell dropped his set 6-0.

Six-seed Connor Dials fell 6-2.

Eight-seed Liam May lost 4-0.

Boys doubles

The Cardinals dropped all five sets.

Caleb Horn and Byron Marcum, the No. 1 seed, dropped to the fourth-ranked player in the region Ashton Tackett.

No. 2 seeds Cory Jarrell and Levi Howell lost 6-0.

No. 3 seed Connor Dials and Bryson Dials lost 6-4.

No. 4 and No. 5 seeds Liam May and Corey Endicott lost two sets 6-0 and 6-1.

“We are moving in the right direction,” said Penix. “We will face Lawrence County and Knott County this week, minus a few players due to JAG, the fishing team and a few injuries. It will be a great test for my younger players.”