Raleigh News & Observer Logo

Green Hope boys tennis defeats Panther Creek, claims conference title | Raleigh News & Observer

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Sponsorships
    • Stay connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Social Media Directory
    • N&O Store
    • Buy Photos
    • Databases
    • Archives
    • Newsletters

    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Health
    • Local
    • North Carolina
    • Nation/World
    • Science
    • Thumbs Up
    • Traffic
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • All News
    • Counties
    • Durham County
    • Johnston County
    • Orange County
    • Wake County
    • All Sports
    • Baseball
    • Canes
    • College
    • Columns & Blogs
    • High Schools
    • NASCAR & Auto Racing
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Panthers
    • Soccer
    • Schools
    • Duke
    • East Carolina
    • NC State
    • North Carolina
    • All Politics
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • State Politics
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • PolitiFact
    • PolitiFact NC
    • Rob Christensen
    • Under the Dome
    • All Business
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Health Care
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Shop Talk
    • Stocks Center
    • Technology
    • All Living
    • Video Now
    • Best-Kept Secrets
    • Blogs
    • Celebrations
    • Comics
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Games and Puzzles
    • Home and Garden
    • Horoscopes
    • Mouthful
    • Past Times
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Video Now
    • Arts News
    • ArtsNow
    • Books
    • Contests
    • Dining
    • Entertainment
    • Games
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Television
    • On the Beat
    • Happiness is a Warm TV
    • All Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Dwane Powell
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters
    • Opinion Shop Blog
    • Other Views
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

    • Advertise with us
    • Place Ad
    • Apartments
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Jobs
    • Legals
    • Obits/In Memoriams
    • Weddings
    • Today's Daily Deal
    • Special Sections
    • Today's Circulars
    • Rewards
    • Photo Store
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Legals

Southwest Wake: Sports

Green Hope boys tennis defeats Panther Creek, claims conference title

By Tom Shanahan - Correspondent

    ORDER REPRINT →

April 18, 2014 02:37 PM

A month ago, Green Hope’s boys tennis team breezed past Panther Creek 9-0 in the first round of the Southwest Wake Athletic Conference dual matches.

This time, Green Hope “settled” for an 8-1 victory that clinched the Falcons’ 13th straight conference title, but the matches were closer than the one-sided final team score suggests. A point here or there in No. 1 and No. 3 doubles and in No. 6 singles, and Green Hope might have been forced to squeeze out a 5-4 victory.

But if you think Green Hope coach Kevin Taylor and his athletes are wringing their hands with conference, regional and state competition approaching, you’re overlooking the big picture. Taylor liked having his young players pushed before the pressure of the upcoming post-season.

“We had some closer matches, and I liked the way our guys responded,” Taylor said. “We needed that. We’ve haven’t had close matches in our conference.”

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Green Hope played without No. 2 singles Luis Rico, but Taylor credited Panther Creek’s overall performance.

“They are a considerably better team than when we last played,” he said. “We didn’t play poorly; they improved quite a bit.”

In doubles, Green Hope freshman Ben Wayand and sophomore Matt Whitney pulled out an 8-6 victory at No. 1 and freshmen Ashwin Inala and Vik Shashidhar survived with a 9-7 win at No. 3. At No. 2, sophomore Eshan Javalkar and freshman Rohit Ghotkar won 8-4.

The doubles scores last month were Green Hope wins of 8-0, 8-2, 8-0, respectively.

In singles, Wayand won at No. 1 6-1, 6-2, but his youth didn’t prevent him from appreciating Panther Creek pushing the Falcons’ overall lineup.

“It was fun today,” Wayand said. “We liked having the competition before the playoffs. We needed some good comebacks in doubles to win. And my singles match was closer than the score.”

Panther Creek’s Matt Fahys accounted for the Catamounts’ lone team point at No. 2 singles with a 7-6, 5-3 win.

At No. 6 singles, Green Hope’s Erik Persson won his final home match as a senior, but he needed a tiebreaker to pull out a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Alex Zistlow.

Green Hope’s other singles wins were Whitney at No. 3, 6-2, 6-3; Javalkar at No. 4, 6-3, 6-3; and Iyer at No. 5, 6-1, 6-3.

By now you might have noticed the youth of Green Hope’s lineup. Rico, a junior, is one of only two of last year’s six players who returned from a veteran lineup that advanced to the third round of the regionals before losing to eventual state champion Millbrook.

Wayand says the team chemistry to make a run is better than might be expected for a group that is new to entering high school post-season competition.

“We’ve played together for a long time,” he said of the junior circuit. “We’re not thinking about age. We’re looking forward to it.”

  Comments  

Videos

Apex's Luc Madrid scores two big goals in win over Cary

Panther Creek's Viraj Garewal wins Southwest Wake boys golf player of the year

View More Video

Trending Stories

John Harris warned his father about legal red flags involving Bladen operative

February 20, 2019 02:13 PM

Will former President Obama attend the Duke-UNC game? Here’s the latest buzz.

February 19, 2019 06:30 PM

Zion Williamson injured during Duke-UNC game after foot blows through shoe

February 20, 2019 09:53 PM

Hurricanes owner Dundon takes over new football league

February 19, 2019 08:43 AM

Transgender woman has asked to be moved from a men’s prison. So far, NC has said no.

February 20, 2019 01:42 PM

Read Next

Southwest Wake all-conference spring sports teams

High School Sports

Southwest Wake all-conference spring sports teams

By J. Mike Blake

mblake@newsobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 30, 2017 04:39 PM

The SWAC has announced its all-conference lists and player and coach of the year awards in baseball, softball, girls soccer, boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE SOUTHWEST WAKE: SPORTS

Holly Springs’ season ends in 4A East baseball final with loss to New Hanover

High School Sports

Holly Springs’ season ends in 4A East baseball final with loss to New Hanover

May 26, 2017 11:17 PM
Cary Christian girls take second at NCISAA 1A/2A track and field championships

High School Sports

Cary Christian girls take second at NCISAA 1A/2A track and field championships

May 21, 2017 12:49 PM
Cardinal Gibbons girls soccer rallies by Middle Creek in 4th round

High School Sports

Cardinal Gibbons girls soccer rallies by Middle Creek in 4th round

May 21, 2017 01:25 AM
Middle Creek adds its 1st boys lacrosse state championship, downs Lake Norman for 4A title

High School Sports

Middle Creek adds its 1st boys lacrosse state championship, downs Lake Norman for 4A title

May 20, 2017 09:15 PM
Cary Christian claims NCISAA 2A girls soccer championship, tops Asheville Christian

High School Sports

Cary Christian claims NCISAA 2A girls soccer championship, tops Asheville Christian

May 20, 2017 11:18 PM
Holly Springs’ bats knock J.H. Rose out of baseball postseason

High School Sports

Holly Springs’ bats knock J.H. Rose out of baseball postseason

May 20, 2017 02:50 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Raleigh News & Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Triangletoday.com
  • Legal Notices
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Our Ads
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • N&O Store
  • N&O Photos
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Report News
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use


Back to Story