BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
RUSSELL — The Martin County boys and girls tennis teams took on the Russell Red Devils in set play March 18 on the road. The boys match concluded in a 5-5 draw, while the Lady Cardinals lost to Russell 5-0.
Martin County’s Connor Dials, the No. 1 seed, faced a challenging opponent, losing the first set 8-0 but rallying to claim a win in the second set with a score of 8-1.
Bryson Marcum, the No. 2 seed, faced a tough opponent, losing his set 8-0, while Bryson Dials, the No. 3 seed, fought hard but dropped his set by a score of 6-4.
Cory Jarrell and Shawn Marcum also faced tough opponents, with Jarrell losing 6-0 and Marcum winning his set 6-3. B.J. Parsley won his set, securing a 6-3 victory.
In the doubles matches, the Martin County No. 1 seed team of Levi Howell and Cory Jarrell secured a hard-fought win with a score of 7-5. However, the No. 2 seed team of B.J. Parsley and Shawn Marcum narrowly fell short, losing their match 6-4. The No. 3 seed duo of Bryon Marcum and Bryson Dials clinched an 8-4 win to contribute to the team’s overall performance.
The Lady Cardinals tennis team faced a good Russell team. In singles action, the Martin County girls fought hard but were unable to secure the win.
Tamara Workman, the No. 1 seed, fell short 6-2, and Sarah Keener, the No. 2 seed, encountered a tough opponent and lost her set 6-0.
In doubles play, the Martin County girls displayed teamwork.
The No. 1 seed duo of Dakota Ward and Lexi Sammons fought hard but were unable to overcome their opponents, losing 6-0.
The No. 2 seed pairing of Chloe May and Addison Kerr faced a similar challenge, falling short 6-1.
The No. 3 seed team of Grace Caldwell and Chloe Alley battled but dropped their match 6-0.
Coach Josh Penix acknowledged the talent and depth of the Russell team.
“They have three players playing Division 1 tennis,” Penix said. “Russell is a very talented tennis team with several top-tier players. Facing them provided a valuable opportunity to assess our team’s strengths and areas for improvement.”
While the outcome may not have been what they hoped for, the coach said that both the boys and girls tennis teams fought hard and are improving each timeout.
“Despite the cold and snowy conditions, my team played with determination and grit,” he said.