Marble Falls tennis returns to state tourney
CAPTION: The boys doubles team of Weston York (left) and Cooper Kelley won bronze at the Class 4A Region III tournament to advance to the Class 4A State Championships. Courtesy photo
Three Marble Falls High School tennis players are headed to the Class 4A State Championships thanks to taking bronze at the Class 4A Region III tournament May 7-8 in Bryan.
The Class 4A state tournament is Thursday and Friday, May 15-16, at the Annemarie Tennis Center, 7001 Culebra Road in San Antonio.
They are boys singles player Cooper Womack and the boys doubles team of Cooper Kelley and Weston York.
Womack, who was seeded No. 1, beat Carson Forester of Little Cypress-Mauriceville 6-4, 6-3 in the bronze medal match and Stafford High’s Roy Delpha 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. His loss was to Dylan Chapman of Caldwell High School 3-6, 2-6.
“(Chapman) had a phenomenal tournament,” Mustangs head coach Samuel Whitley said. “Definitely his best match was against Cooper. He was just completely on his game. He’s the best kid I’ve seen play Cooper all year. This kid was at the top of his game.”
Chapman, who lost to Womack at last year’s regional tournament, loves to serve and volley.
“He attacks the net well and at the appropriate time,” Whitley said. “He pushed Cooper. He was hitting on all cylinders. If you’re going to beat Cooper, you have to be on your A game. If (Chapman) had a weak point, neither one of us could find it.”
He noted Womack “went to his tool bag and tried to pull out” different ways to win points.
“Tennis a funny sport,” the coach said. “You can be off one day and the next day, everything falls into place. He can go to state and win. Or he can get knocked out in the first round.”
Kelley and York defeated Bryce Gaddy and Ryder Moody of Center High School 6-4, 6-4, in the bronze medal match.
“They did an awesome job,” Whitley said. “We felt really good about getting them to regionals and thought they could get to state. Those kids responded well.”
The coach said he tried to get Kelley and York seeded but was unsuccessful, adding the Mustangs didn’t receive a vote for second through sixth.
“None of the coaches thought a whole lot of them,” he said. “Then they go out and beat the No. 2-seeded team in the second match and beat them handily. They played very aggressive, very dominant and beat them.”
That win came against Bullard High’s James Heath and Ryder Nelson 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals after beating John Garciadiaz and Noel Contreras of 6-1, 6-1 of Hargrave High in the round of 16.
They lost to Brody Bonner and Braden Carlin of China Spring 6-7, 1-6 in the semifinals.
“A lot of times in that first set tiebreaker, you put everything you have in it and there’s nothing left if you lose,” Whitley said.
When the Mustangs faced Gaddy and Moody, the Roughriders took an early lead and weren’t shy about showing their happiness.
“It was a good match,” Whitley said. “It was an intense match with intense points. There were excessive celebrations that were just unnecessary at the time by our opponent. It got us fired up. “
The boys doubles team of Payton Glaser and Nicolas Smith lost in the round of 16 to Angel Martinez and Jose Murillo of Stafford High 1-6, 5-7.
“The atmosphere is a little different at regionals,” Whitley said. “There’s a lot more cheering, a lot more fan participation. They did not play their best match.”
The girls doubles team of Mia Hernandez and Sophia Trudeau defeated Raelin Jamison and Aneya Zoriz of Hargrave 5-7, 7-6, 6-4 before losing to top seed Sophia Brooks and Reese Jenkins of China Spring 0-6, 0-6.
“Sophia and Mia had a pretty good showing,” the coach said. “After barely losing the first set in a tiebreaker, they won the second set by hitting the ball well, they moved well. They looked like they were having fun. They laughed at their mistakes. They looked like they were having a good time until they played the No. 1 seed. I hope they saw enough to know they can compete with them. The team that can play consistently will be the winner.”
CAPTION: Cooper Womack took bronze in boys singles at the Class 4A Region III tournament to return to the state tournament. Courtesy photo
