Greene Central drops a tough match to undefeated Croatan
Greene Central hosted Croatan in a fiercely contested tennis match that showcased the skills and determination of both teams Tuesday. The match results were as follows:
In the first singles match, Greene Central's junior William Drake triumphed over Croatan's junior Ty Nickson with a score of 6-1, 6-2. In the second singles match, senior Lane Hartman from Croatan beat senior Dustin Brown from Greene Central by a score of 6-1, 6-2.
In the third singles match, Croatan sophomore Jack Balog beat Greene Central freshman Sam Avent with a 6-1, 6-0 win. The fourth singles match featured Greene Central's freshman Nick Avent emerging victorious over Croatan's freshman Ian Balog, with a final score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
Ryan Dweikat, a sophomore from Croatan, beat Bryson Warrick, a freshman from Greene Central, 6-4, 6-3, in the fifth singles match. In the sixth singles match, sophomore Jack Melton of Croatan beat freshman Parker Johnson of Greene Central, giving Croatan a 6-2, 6-1 win.
In doubles action, Greene Central's duo of junior William Drake and senior Dustin Brown outplayed Croatan's junior Ty Nickson and freshman Ian Balog, earning an 8-1 win in the first doubles match. The second doubles match saw Greene Central's freshman pair, Sam Avent and Nick Avent, defeat Croatan's senior Lane Hartman and sophomore Jack Melton with a score of 8-6.
Croatan's sophomore Jack Balog and junior Eugene Wilson beat Greene Central's freshmen Bryson Warrick and Parker Johnson 8-3 to win the third doubles match.
Despite challenges and a tough schedule, the young Greene Central team put up a strong fight. Coach Tim Medlin reflected on his team's performance, saying, "Our team has been stripped to the bone, including lost players and two returning starters suffering season-ending injuries. With five fewer on the roster, we are fielding only six, sometimes five players, including four freshmen in the lineup."
He continued, "Our schedule remains tough, having already played Raleigh Charter and Franklin Academy, each being ranked in the top three in North Carolina. We tied 3A South Central with one match still to complete, and today we narrowly lost 4-5 to undefeated 3A Croatan, who went 16-0 last year and stands 6-0 after today's match. So we are competing and learning through tough knocks. We're 4-3-1 so far with another solid 3A opponent Wednesday at First Flight in Kitty Hawk."
Despite the adversity, Greene Central's young players demonstrated their tenacity and skill on the court. Their performance against a formidable Croatan team indicates promising potential for the future. The Lancers will continue to hone their skills and compete against strong opponents as they work towards overcoming the challenges they face this season.
