AMERICUS – The Americus-Sumter girls and boys tennis teams earned a split against Marion County on Monday, February 26, at Americus-Sumter High School.

The boys were able to earn their first win of the season, blanking Marion County 5-0. The Panthers’ number one singles player, Aaron John Ndaayezwi, defeated Brick Wells in a hard-fought match 3-6, 6-0, and won a tie breaker 10-7. The Panthers’ number two player, Braxton Cross, also had a tough match against Marion County’s Damion Farr. Cross lost the first set 5-7 and won the second set 6-4, setting up the deciding set. The third set proved to be a long, hard-fought set between both players, but Cross was able to win the tie breaker 12-10, thus winning the match.

The number three player for ASH, Xavier White, had little trouble with Raymond Morris, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. In boys’ doubles action, the duo of Keldrick Flemming and Chris Wooden defeated the Marion County duo of Dylan Scott and Kody Mincey in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. The Panthers finished off the win as Aaron Lewis and Chandler Reddix defeated the Eagles’ tandem of Gavyn Maxwell and Bryan Sales 6-1, 6-0.

For the ASH girls team, they weren’t as fortunate. The Lady Panthers were beaten 5-0 by Marion County. Hannah Martinez, the number one player for ASH, fell in straight sets to Nicole Prados 0-6, 0-6. Jovan Sykes, the Lady Panthers number two player, fell in straight sets to Anna Lee Taylor 0-6, 0-6. The Panthers’ number three player, Kimberly Worthy, lost in straight sets to the Eagles’ Brianna Morgan 1-6, 1-6. In doubles action, the ASH team of Kirby Perry and Israel Broomfield nearly came away with a win. They lost in straight sets 6-7, 6-7 to the Eagles’ Tanner Miller and Tanya Vicente, but forced tie breakers in both sets. The other Americus-Sumter doubles team of Taylor Garcia and Nallely Lepiz lost to Marion County’s Aislin Vicente and Martha Dixon in straight sets 1-6, 4-6.