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ROCKY MOUNT — With the NCHSAA 3-A boys tennis singles and doubles championships looming this weekend, there wasn’t much room on the schedule for a rain date for Tuesday’s second-round dual-team playoff match between Fike and Harnett Central.
The skies opened just as both teams arrived at Barton College Tennis Complex and Fike head coach Lee Matthews sprang into action and was able to quickly move the match to the indoor tennis facility at North Carolina Wesleyan University. Instead of waiting another day to play, the Golden Demons pocketed an 8-0 victory and a ticket to the third round.
“The weather turned bad shortly after Harnett Central arrived, and we were fortunate to be able to move the match indoors at N.C. Wesleyan,” Matthews said. “With all the moving around the guys turned in a truly dominant performance in singles.”
Snyder Pearson, the 3-A East Regional runner-up in singles last weekend, blitzed Tyler Greger 6-1, 6-0 to set the tone. Hatten Gore won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 while Dylan Skinner took a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 3. The bottom three in the lineup — Zachary Hill, Cian Bonner and Aidan Bonner — all won 6-0, 6-0.
While the match technically was decided when Cian Bonner won his No. 5 singles match, the coaches elected to play two doubles matches. Skinner-Hill won at No. 1 doubles in a practice match for their upcoming return to the state 3-A doubles tournament while Brayden Jones-Eddie Reel came off the bench to win at No. 2.
Fike (19-1), the No. 5 seed in the 3-A East, will await the winner of Wednesday’s second-round match between top-seeded West Carteret and No. 8 Western Alamance. The Demons would host Western Alamance if it wins but would travel to Morehead City for the third round Tuesday, May 16, if the Patriots prevail.
The Trojans exited 12-6.
FIKE 8, HARNETT CENTRAL 0
Snyder Pearson (F) def. Tyler Greger 6-1, 6-0; Hatten Gore (F) def. Landis Eller 6-1, 6-0; Dylan Skinner (F) def. Taylor Davenport 6-2, 6-0; Zachary Hill (F) def. Jay Mewborn 6-0, 6-0; Cian Bonner (F) def. Grayson Lloyd 6-0, 6-0; Aidan Bonner (F) def. Brayden Nelson 6-0, 6-0
Skinner-Hill (F) def. Greger-Eller 8-2; Brayden Jones-Eddie Reel (F) def. Davenport-Mewborn 8-1.
