Herons are runner-up to PCMS
BEARVILLE — Brantley County Middle School’s Lady Herons and Pierce County Middle School’s Bears claimed the girls’ and boys’ Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference tennis titles here Friday afternoon on the Pierce County High School campus.
The Lady Herons defeated the unbeaten topseed Lady Bears, winning 3-2 in the girls’ finals. The undefeated top-seed Bears clipped the second-seed Herons 3-0 in the boys’ finals.
BCMS’s Lady Herons advanced to the finals with a 3-1 semifinal win over Appling County Middle School. The Herons steamrolled past overmatched Waycross Middle School, winning the semifinal pairing 5-0.
Championship Lady Herons............3 Pierce Middle ..........2
Brantley Middle won two of the three singles matches and split the doubles matches to avenge a regular season loss to the Lady Bears.
Lindsey Lee survived an 8-6 decision at No. 1 to beat Zayleigh Rathel. Addie Grafford blanked Morgan Bell 8-0 at No. 2. PCMS’s Breylee Oliver doubled up Emory Lee 8--4 at No. 3.
The Lady Bears won at No. 1 doubles with the team of Lily Grey Wright and Brooklyn Barber beating Audrey Keen and Sadie Florey 8-4. BCMS’s No. 2 doubles tandem of Briley Dyches and Karslyn Lloyd downed Ane Clough and Kaylin Sills 8-3.
Semifinals Lady Herons............3 Appling Middle .......1
The Lady Herons held off a stiff challenge from Appling Middle to reach the finals.
Grafford defeated Daelyn Horne 8-2 at No. 2 singles with Emory Lee outlasting Amelia Towns 9-7 at No. 3. Lindsey Lee trailed 6-5 at No. 1 to Payton Scott when the match was pulled.
BCMS’s No. 2 doubles team of Dyches and Lloyd held off the challenge of Preslee McClug and Reagan Pearce winning 8-6. The No. 1 tandem of Keen and Sadie fell 8-1 to Espy Williams and Myrah Hall.
Championship Pierce Middle ..........3 Herons....................0
Pierce Middle won at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, and at No. 2 doubles to beat the Herons.
Nate Carlson turned back Blane Smith 8-5 at No. 1 singles. Cooper Bradley downed Caiden Bass 8-1 at No. 2.
The Bears’ No. 2 doubles team of Barret Ried and Colen Davis doubled up Haldin Lee and Cayden Wampler 8-4.
The No. 3 singles match between Collin Harris and Bentley Taylor, along with the No. 1 doubles match between Bentley Stieve and Hanner Harris and PCMS’s Jaxon Coates and Pate Thomas, were pulled. Stieve and Harris led 7-6. No score was reported on the Harris-Taylor match.
Semifinals Herons ...........................................................5 Waycross Middle ...........................................0
Brantley Middle dropped just six games in dismantling the Bulldogs to advance.
Smith blanked Hemi Halladay 8-0 at No. 1 singles. Bass defeated Robert Mack 8-1 at No. 2. Harris posted an 8-1 victory at No. 3 over Dawson Kennison to seal the victory.
The No. 1 doubles team of Stieve and Harris recorded an 8-1 victory over Isaiah Rowland and Jayse Bruner. Lee and Wampler teamed up at No. 2 to beat Noah Davis and Will Heard 8-3.
