Friday March 29th, 2024 2:59AM

Region 8-AAAAA tennis: Branch girls, GHS boys take titles

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

FLOWERY BRANCH -- After two years of frustration for both the Flowery Branch girls and Gainesville boys tennis teams in the Region 8-AAAAA tournament, both got a measure of revenge Thursday in the 2015 region finals at the Flowery Branch High courts.

The Lady Falcons avenged a pair of finals losses to Gainesville while the Red Elephants followed suit turning the tables on the Flowery Branch boys. Both pulled out close 3-2 victories to capture the region titles.

“The last two years were just like this one where it went down to the final match,” Flowery Branch girls coach Ginger Jackson said. “We expected a tight match and it was. It just feels good to come out on the other end this time.”

The girls final came down to No. 1 doubles, where senior Breanna Benton and sophomore Brooke Kain rallied from a set down against Gainesville’s Madi Kiser and Georgia Summer to clinch the match for the Lady Falcons.

“Our No. 1 doubles is strong and they really showed their character coming from behind,” Jackson said. “I feel good for them. They were able to finish strong against a good opponent.”

In the boys final, senior Graham McKinnon took the only singles win for Gainesville at the No. 2 slot to go with a doubles sweep to clinch the match for the Red Elephants.

The match played out almost exactly the way Gainesville coach Clark Weaver was hoping it would go.

“I think both teams knew it would come down to the No. 2 singles,” Weaver said. “It means a lot to the guys to win this and beat Flowery Branch at the same time. (Flowery Branch) is so tough. We knew it would be close.”

In the girls final, Benton and Kain fell down a break in the third set but rallied to take three straight games for a 5-3 lead. Kiser and Summer broke back to pull within 5-4 and led 40-15 and needed just one point to even the match. But Benton and Kain won the final four points to take the game, the match, and clinch the title.

“We just kept having confidence in each other that we could come back,” Benton said. “We just tried to do what we could to help us win.”

“It feels great to win it for the team but everybody on the team contributed,” Kain said. “It wasn’t just us.”

The Lady Falcons got two wins almost simultaneously when Peyton Brick beat Josie Evert 6-3, 6-0 at No. 3 singles while the No. 2 doubles team of Kaia Clark and Kylie McGuire took a straight-set 6-2, 6-3 win over Ali Waggoner and Paige Ackerman for a 2-0 team lead.

But it was still anyone’s title as the No. 1 doubles was tied a set apiece and the Lady Elephants held one-set leads at Nos. 1 and 2 singles. Gainesville got its first win at No. 2 singles with Haley Frankum knocking off Olivia Correa in a close 6-4, 6-4 win. The Lady Red Elephants tied the match at 2-2 when Katherine Wright beat Nicole Morris 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.

In the boys final, Flowery Branch got the early lead with Phillip Correa taking a 6-0, 6-2 win over Jackson Fox at No. 3 singles. Soon after Gainesville would pull ahead 2-1 with a sweep of the doubles.

Within minutes of each other, Reagan Williams and Edward Belch won 6-1, 6-4 over Clay King and Watson Lewis at No. 1 and Trevor Munn and Roan Thompson took a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Tucker Smallwood and Ryan Kerul at No. 2 doubles.

Flowery Branch No. 1 singles Beau Millwood then finished off the Red Elephants’ Jeff Riser 6-3, 6-4 to tie the match.

That left McKinnon and the Falcons’ Nathan Holley left to duel at No. 2 singles with a throng of spectators looking on. McKinnon won the first set and led early in the second before Holley rallied to pull even at 5-5. McKinnon held serve to take a 6-5 lead and then closed out the set and match breaking Holley's serve to clinch the title.

“No. 2 is an important spot in the rotation and I felt like I had a good chance to win,” Graham said. “All I remember the last two years is losing to Flowery Branch so we really wanted to beat them this time.

“I was a little nervous when everyone started to watching just us but fortunately I was able to handle it. I just kept thinking I just need to win and I just tried to make some shots.”

  • Associated Categories: Sports, High School Sports
  • Associated Tags: High school tennis, Gainesville tennis, Flowery Branch tennis
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