The Bearcats best showing during the Regional Meet came in Boys Doubles, where the second-seeded tandem of Will Fendey and Bryce Vallery advanced all the way to Tuesday’s Championships.
Before the day ended, Ruston had five players qualify to move on to the Louisiana High School Athletics Association State Championships.o 6-1, 6-0.
Ruston’s top Boys Doubles duo then defeated West Monroe’s seventh-seeded team 6-2, 6-6 (7-3) before defeating Natchitoches Central’s third-seeded tandem where they met West Monroe’s top-seeded pair, falling 7-5, 6-4.
Fendley and Vallery will wrap up their season at the state championships later this month.
The Bearcats’ 20th-seeded Boys Doubles tandem of Juelz Hunter and Michael Reeves upset Pineville’s 13th-seeded duo 6-2, 7-5 in opening round play before losing to Alexandria’s fourth-seeded team 6-2, 6-1 in the second round.
In Boys Singles, Ruston’s Caleb Free, the fourth-seed, won his opening-round match 6-3, 6-2 before having to forfeit his second-round contest.
But that opening round win was enough to qualify Free, a senior, for the state championships later this month.
“Caleb isn’t tall, but he makes up for it with his speed – he’s the fastest player I’ve ever coached,” said RHS coach David Poe. “He’s so fast his only deal is trying not to slide too much or too far. He can even slide on concrete, he’s so fast.
“He has a chance to do well in the early rounds. Eventually you end up having to go through some tough private school players, and those matches are never easy.
Ruston’s other boys singles competitor, 11th-seeded Anhaar Wasi fell in opening-round action.
In Girls Doubles, Ruston’s sixth-seeded duo of Maddie Clement and Gigi Daughtry earned a first-round bye before defeating Captain Shreve’s 11th-seeded tandem 6-6, 5-7, 6-1.
But Clement and Daughtry fell to West Monroe’s third-seeded pair 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals round.
Ruston’s 12th-seeded Girls Doubles pair of Emma Allen and Kelly Caston blanked Natchitoches Central’s 21st-seeded tandem 6-0, 6-0 before falling in the second round to Captain Shreve’s gift-seeded duo 6-2, 7-6 (10-7).
That qualified them to advance to the state championships later this month.
The Lady Bearcats’ 24th-seeded duo of Anna Puckett and Emma Reeves upset Airline’s ninth-seeded team 7-5, 6-4 in the first round before losing to West Monroe’s eight-seeded tandem in the second round.
Both of Ruston’s competitors in Girls Singles lost in first-round matching,
with 10th-seeded Claire Sanders losing 6-4, 7-6 (1
Fendley and Vallery received a first-round bye before opening their tourney action by defeating Captain Shreve’s 15th-seeded du1-9) while 13th-seeded Camila Derosa fell 6-0, 6-1.
“I’m pleased with our results, especially considering this was a rebuilding year after losing eight seniors from last year’s team,” Poe said. “We only have four seniors this season — Caston, Allen, Free and Vallery — and they all qualified for the state championships.
“As far as the state championships, we always call the first day ‘public school elimination day’ because of those talented private schools. We’ll just go in and try to do our best and see what happens.”
The LHSAA State Championship Tennis Tournament is set for April 28-29 in Monroe.
