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MP boys tennis downs Trojans
Panthers earn big win in Southeast Conference play
Andy Krutsinger
Apr. 11, 2023 10:51 am
FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield-Mt. Pleasant tennis rivalry was renewed at Fairfield Middle School on Monday evening, and this year’s first edition went to the visiting Panthers.
Mt. Pleasant dominated the mid-to-lower seeded tier matchups to upend the Trojans 7-2 and stay unbeaten to start the season.
There was some high-octane action in the Top-2 singles matches, as some of the SEC’s best went at it in the No. 1 and No. 2 games.
Mt. Pleasant’s Owen Vansickel got things going for the Panthers with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Fairfield’s Garrett Flanagan in the No. 1 singles match. In the No. 2 match, Fairfield’s Jace Hannes upended Mt. Pleasant’s Jake Ensminger 6-1, 6-1.
Mt. Pleasant won all four of the next singles matches down the car. No. 3 Elliot Cook knocked off Dil Hurlin 7-6(3), 6-0. No. 4 Phoenix Watson downed Ethan Cass 6-0, 6-1. No. 5 Tim Cam beat Rylan Anderson 6-3, 6-4, and No. 6 Gavin Ross knocked off Niko Emerson 6-2, 6-0.
Fairfield’s top doubles team continued to play well, as the squad of Flanagan and Hannes defeated Ensminger and Cook 6-3, 6-3 in the No. 1 doubles match. Mt. Pleasant, however, took the next two.
Vansickel and Cam won the No. 2 doubles match 6-4, 6-4 over Hurlin and Emerson. In the No. 3 match, Watson and Ross defeated Cass and Anderson 6-0, 6-2.
The win moved Mt. Pleasant to 4-0 on the year. Fairfield is now 1-3.