RC Netmen Drop Two

The Rockbridge County High School boys tennis team suffered a pair of road losses last week, falling to Valley District rival Harrisonburg 7-2 last Tuesday and coming up short 5-4 against Lord Botetourt on Wednesday.

Against Harrisonburg, the Wildcats (2-5 overall, 1-1 district) got wins from two of their singles players. Eli Fox defeated Harrisonburg’s Felix Young 8-3 at No. 5, and Harrison Tanner beat Drew Lankford 8-6 at No. 6. The Blue Streaks ended the week at 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the district.

The nondistrict match against Lord Botetourt (2-4) was similar to the match in Lexington on March 22, when LB also won 5-4.

The Wildcats had to forfeit at No. 3 singles because Malcolm Kosmas “got terrible cramps during the match and couldn’t finish,” said RC head coach Rebekah Butler. “It was very disappointing.”

Nearly all of the matches were close, especially in doubles, with the Cavaliers winning all three doubles matches. The Wildcats’ singles winners were Matthew Feldman at No. 2, Ben Barney at No. 4, Fox at No. 5, and Tanner at No. 6. Tanner made an impressive comeback to win 3-5, 6-3, 10-3.

The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to district rival Spotswood yesterday and will play a nondistrict home match against Christiansburg on Thursday at the Lexington Country Club courts before returning to district action at Turner Ashby on Friday. RC will continue district play at home against Broadway on Tuesday. All matches are scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

HHS 7, RC 2

SINGLES – Cory Beshoar (H) d. Nic Faulds (RC) 8-0; Julien Steins (H) d. Matthew Feldman (RC) 8-2; Owen Tompkins (H) d. Malcom Kosmas (RC) 8-2; Louie Gibson (H) d. Ben Barney (RC) 8-3; Eli Fox (RC) d. Felix Young (H) 8-3; Harrison Tanner (RC) d. Drew Lankford (H) 8-6.

DOUBLES – Beshoar and Steins (H) d. Faulds and Barney (RC) 8-0; Tompkins and Young (H) d. Fox and Malcolm Kosmas (RC) 8-3; Gibson and Lankford (H) d. Feldman and Tanner (RC) 8-6.

LB 5, RC 4

SINGLES – Faulds (RC) lost; Feldman (RC) won 6-2, 6-2; LB won by forfeit over Malcolm Kosmas (RC); Barney (RC) won 7-6 (7-3 tiebreak), 6-1; Fox won 6-4, 6-3; Tanner won 3-5, 6-3, 10-3.

DOUBLES – Faulds and Barney (RC) lost 9-8 (7-3 tiebreak); Feldman and Malcolm Kosmas (RC) lost 8-6; Fox and Barrett Kosmas (RC) lost 9-7.