The DCHS Tigers tennis team rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat district rival White County by a score of 5-4 on Tuesday. The Lady Tigers team lost to the Lady Warriors 9-0, with seven matches decided by 3 games or less. The match lasted over five hours, as the four Smithville Golf Club courts were the site of incredibly competitive matches.
White County, led by senior Gabriel Wiles, jumped to a 2-0 lead with victories in #1 and #2 doubles. Wiles then followed suit with a singles victory over Tiger freshman #1 Lance Duke. The Warriors were suddenly leading the Tigers by a 3-0 score. The #3 doubles match began a momentum swing in favor of DeKalb, led by Ethan Brown and Cameron Ramsey. The match started with White County gaining early momentum with a 4-2 lead, but Brown and Ramsey responded with six unanswered points to win. Brown described a strategy change that made a difference. “They were heavy net players, so we started lobbing them and attacking the net ourselves, which pushed them back some.”
After the win at #3 doubles, Ian Barnes, Jackson Mathis, Luke Midgett, and Brown all won their singles matches to secure the victory. Brown was the statistical leader for the Tigers with two total victories out of the five team points. Head Coach Brian Cadle praised his team’s effort, “I am thankful for the depth of our tennis teams this year. Lance had a very tough assignment with Gabriel, a senior who is talented and strong mentally. We needed the rest of our roster to step up and rally the team to victory. I am proud of the team effort, but it was certainly not a match with a quick outcome.”
On the girls’ side, the 9-0 score was not representative of the Lady Tigers’ play. Only two of the nine matches were decided by more than three points. Senior Charlotte Paladino played to a tiebreaker against Marian Swindell, losing 9-8 (8-1). Coach Cadle was very proud of the Lady Tigers’ #1 player, “I told Charlotte that was the best match I have seen her play. She played with confidence and purpose today. I lost count of the winners off her racket. Charlotte was down 4-1 and battled back to take the lead and then into the tiebreaker. She has grown so much as a player and leader for our girls.” Cadle noted the improved play of the girls against the Lady Warriors, “White County has been a difficult loss for the girls the past couple of years. We certainly looked much better against them today and hope to get another chance with them in the district tournament.”
DeKalb and White County have developed a friendly yet competitive rivalry over the past four years. Coach Cadle and Coach Topher Wiles have both developed competitive district teams with a similar formula, working to develop a K-12 tennis program and growing talent from a young age. The current DeKalb County High School team has three players, Duke, Brown, and Mia Bell, who come from the DeKalb Middle School tennis team, which has been in existence for three seasons as a feeder program. The middle school team is led by Coach Chad Ramsey, who is also the top assistant coach for the high school program. Ramsey has two kids in the program, Cameron, who is on the boys’ varsity team, and Abby, who plays for the middle school team.
The Tigers are now 5-1 and the Lady Tigers 3-3. Both teams host York Institute on Thursday at 3:00 pm.
Box Score
Girls: White County 9-0
#1 Singles Marian Swindell (WC) defeated Charlotte Paladino (DC) 9-8 (8-1)
#2 Singles Lilly Colwell (WC) defeated Candice Rico (DC) 8-2
#3 Singles Lorelei Bouldin (WC) defeated Kayce Hale (DC) 8-1
#4 Singles Tegan Rittenberry (WC) defeated Mia Bell (DC) 8-4
#5 Singles Sadie Benningfield (WC) defeated Jayde Lester (DC) 9-7
#6 Singles Olivia Flaminio (WC) defeated Kaylee Hoersch (DC) 9-8 (8-6)
#1 Doubles Swindell/Colwell (WC) defeated Paladino/Rico (DC) 8-5
#2 Doubles Bouldin/Benningfield (WC) defeated Lester/Hoersch (DC) 9-7
#3 Doubles Rittenberry/Olivia Flaminio defeated Hale/Madison Caballero (DC) 9-8 (7-2)
Boys: DeKalb County 5-4
#1 Singles Gabriel Wiles (WC) defeated Lance Duke (DC) 8-3
#2 Singles Ian Barnes (DC) defeated John Durfee (DC) 8-3
#3 Singles Jackson Mathis (DC) defeated Ethan Wiles (DC) 8-1
#4 Singles Luke Midgett (DC) defeated Solomon Hawkins (WC) 8-4
#5 Singles Ethan Brown (DC) defeated James Frady (WC) 8-1
#6 Singles Ben Brogden (WC) defeated Cameron Ramsey (DC) 8-4
#1 Doubles Wiles/Wiles (WC) defeated Duke/Barnes (DC) 8-5
#2 Doubles Midgett/Mathis (DC) defeated Durfee/Brogden (WC) 8-5
#3 Doubles Brown/Ramsey (DC) defeated Hawkins/Frady (WC) 8-4