Jeff Linville/The News
Jeff Linville/The News
Mount Airy’s Matt Kessler lunges for a backhand in his semifinal win Tuesday. He returned to win the finals on Wednesday, giving him three singles championships and a doubles title in four conference tournaments.
Jeff Linville/The News
Jeff Linville/The News
Bear seniors Will Pfitzner (left) and Taylor Bobbitt won their third-place match on Wednesday and join Mitch Kessler and Jordan Lawson in the regional doubles tournament this weekend.
Jeff Linville
Staff Reporter
Mount Airy took all three matches in the 1A tennis finals Wednesday, getting two wins and an injury forfeit.
Matt Kessler made it back-to-back singles championships with a straight-set win over Bishop’s Naveed Foroudi, while his brother Mitch got the doubles title with partner Jordan Lawson on forfeit.
Bishop Coach Bob Weckworth said his son Kevin injured his right shoulder so the coach held him out of the finals.
Kevin and partner Lane Kiser already had qualified for the regional tournament this weekend, so the coach thought it better to rest Kevin in the hopes he would be better by Friday.
Another Bears/Villains doubles match did take place Wednesday as the second duos played in the third-place match.
The Bears Taylor Bobbitt and Will Pfitzner went ahead 1-0, then 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 at the changeovers against Conor Wilson and Michael Domabyl. The Bears won two straight games to finish the first set 6-3.
Mount Airy jumped out to a 3-0 in the second set, but the Villains rallied to take two straight themselves.
The Bears rallied from behind in each of the next two games before winning to go ahead 5-2. With Bobbitt serving, the Bears finished off the match 6-2.
As the 1A side of the Northwest Conference gets four spots in the regional tournament, both sets of doubles teams are in as well as Matt Kessler and Foroudi.
Joining the finalists in the singles qualifiers are East Surry’s Tyler Yandell and South Stokes’ Ephraim Harrell.
Yandell and Harrell chose to meet at East Surry on Wednesday rather than Mount Airy, since that location was closer for the two.
Yandell, who played well with Foroudi for a set, beat Harrell 6-0, 6-1 for third place.
The participating coaches will meet with other coaches in the regional tournament to decide the seedings.
Both Bear Coach Rodney Pell and Coach Weckworth agreed that the conference finalists should secure top-four seeds in singles and doubles.
Pell also hopes the third-place finish nets his second doubles team a good draw.
The Bears are hopeful they have qualified for the state 1A dual-team playoffs as well. The first round will be held on Tuesday, but the pairings won’t be released until the day before.
As the top team from the Northwest, Bishop will get a home date, and the Bears are hoping for a 1A wild card.
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