From Staff Reports

 

ATLANTA – The Americus-Sumter boys’ tennis team went to Atlanta on Thursday, April 26, with the hopes of toppling the Marist War Eagles and reaching the Final Four of the GHSA Class AAAA State Tournament. Unfortunately, the Panthers ran into a War Eagles squad that was too much to handle and lost the match 4-0 at Marist High School. With the loss, the Panthers’ remarkable season comes to an end.

“We won many points. We just couldn’t put games together,” ASHS head coach Carl Willis said. “I want to give special thanks to Coach Terri Lee and the entire staff for a great season. I also want to thank our principal, Kimothy Hadley and our athletic director Coleman Price.”

The Panthers’ No. 1 singles player, Aaron John Ndaayezwi, had a tough match against Brayden Miller. Miller defeated Ndaayezwi in straight sets 6-1, 6-0. Braxton Cross, the No. 2 player for ASHS, fell to Nick Howard in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.

In doubles action, the ASHS team of Keldrick Flemming and Chris Wooden was hoping to score a victory to keep the Panthers’ hopes alive. However, Flemming and Wooden lost to the War Eagles’ duo of Garrett McCarty and Brock Thrasher 6-1, 6-1.

In the other doubles match, the Panthers’ team of Chandler Reddix and Aaron Lewis fell to Matt Pinto and Mac Laborde 6-0, 6-2. In the third and final singles match, Zacheaus Johnson, the Panthers’ No. 3 player, was putting up a strong fight against Justin Morgan. The match was tied at 1-1. However, being that the team outcome had already been decided, it was decided that Johnson’s match should be stopped because the Marist girls’ team needed to take the courts to play their playoff match against Woodward Academy.

The Panthers finish one of their best seasons in program history with a solid record of 17-5.