BISCOE — Five players from Mount Airy High School advanced to the Western 1A Regional Finals Tournament Saturday after winning two quarterfinal playoff rounds each on Friday.

The finals tournament was held in Biscoe yesterday, hosted by East Montgomery High School.

Lady Bears Head Coach Scott Kniskern said he expected to win Friday’s quarterfinals because Mount Airy’s players came in as the number one and two seeded players. The goal was achieved and the Bears went into Saturday’s regional finals “wanting to do as good as we could do.”

Jordan Jackson, the number one seed for the Bears, lost to Hannah Archer from Lake Norman Charter 6-3, 6-2 Saturday after beating top seeded Kendall Cortez of Bishop McGuinness 6-1, 6-2 in Friday’s first round quarterfinals.

Archer is a great player, said Kniskern, and believed Jackson “played well against her.”

“The score does not reflect today how close the match actually was,” between Jackson and Archer, said the coach.

Jackson will get another chance Tuesday against Archer. She will face her again Tuesday in team playoffs at Mount Airy and give the Lady Bears another chance at victory against Lake Norman Charter.

In the tournament doubles, Davi Barbour and Haley Thomas claimed victory for the Lady Bears beating East Montgomery in straight sets (two in a row were won).

In other semi-final matches, Dinkins and Hughes lost to Graystone Day in straight sets but played again to determine the number three and four seed, said Kniskern. Dinkins and Hughes then played East Montgomery and won 2-6, 7-6 (7) in a tiebreaker and clinched the win in the third set, 7-5, that lasted for three and one-half hours, said Kniskern.

In the final doubles yesterday, Barbour and Thomas lost to Graystone Day with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

The Bears will host Lake Norman Charter on Tuesday in the second round of Dual Team Playoffs. The Lady Bears and their coach will then be traveling to State Finals, in Cary next Friday and Saturday.

Reach Tanya Chilton at tchilton@heartlandpublications.com or at 719-1921.