Greene Central Edges North Lenoir in Thrilling 5-4 Tennis Showdown

Apr 18

Apr 18 Greene Central Edges North Lenoir in Thrilling 5-4 Tennis Showdown

In a pivotal high school tennis match between Greene Central and North Lenoir, both ranked within the top five in the state, the matchup did not disappoint as the Rams and the Hawks went down to the wire, with Greene Central edging out North Lenoir 5-4.

Singles Results:

William Drake (Sr., Greene Central) secured a win against Casey Alston (So., North Lenoir) with scores of 6-1, 6-1. Drake remarked on his performance and strategy, stating, "My performance I think went really well, I played pretty well. Played him a few times before; we have good battles. Forehand to cross court, forehand to forehand is pretty good. I usually try to stay away from his forehand and attack his backhand."
Maddox Smith (So., North Lenoir) delivered a flawless victory over Bryson Warrick (So., Greene Central), winning 6-0, 6-0.
Sam Avent (So., Greene Central) edged out Austin Williams (Sr., North Lenoir) with scores of 6-2, 7-5.
Zachary Yarus (Jr., North Lenoir) came from behind to defeat Nick Avent (So., Greene Central) in a tiebreak, finishing at 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4).
Ben Ramsey (Fr., Greene Central) beat Jack Jones (Sr., North Lenoir) 6-2, 6-2.
Ahmad Zayyad (Sr., North Lenoir) won against Skyler Pate (Fr., Greene Central), scoring 7-6 (11-9), 6-2.

Doubles Results:

William Drake & Nick Avent (Greene Central) defeated Casey Alston & Austin Williams (North Lenoir) 8-3.
Maddox Smith & Zachary Yarus (North Lenoir) won 8-5 against Bryson Warrick & Sam Avent (Greene Central).
Ben Ramsey & Eli Dawson (Greene Central) triumphed over Jack Jones & Ahmad Zayyad (North Lenoir) with an 8-5 score.

Season Overview: Greene Central concludes the regular season with a robust 13-3 overall and 8-0 in conference, while North Lenoir posts a strong 10-3 record, remaining undefeated at 3-0 in conference play.

Casey Alston shared his perspective on competing against Drake and their mutual support, saying, "Drake is probably one of the best players in the state. We have hit a lot; I have known him my whole life. It's good for me because I can improve and work on what I need to. He tells me what I need to work on, we did drills together, and I got better because I played with him. He helped me tremendously on my second serve." Alston also reflected on his team's performance: "I think we had a great regular season as it is coming to an end. We have regional and state playoffs coming right around the corner. I think as a team we have improved a lot since the beginning of the season and learned how to react from tough matches like the one today."

The matches were not only a display of individual talent but also a testament to the sportsmanship and developmental growth among the athletes, setting a solid foundation for the upcoming postseason competitions.