The Newton County tennis team fell to New Albany in the Class 4A finals on Monday. Two Newton County doubles teams advanced to the finals of the individual tournament.
The Newton County tennis team advanced to the Class 4A semifinals in Oxford last week. The Cougars beat Sumrall 5-2 in the semifinals before falling 7-0 to New Albany in the finals.
Against Sumrall, County lost both singles matches as Braiden Estes lost 6-4, 6-3 and Alissa Luke lost 6-1, 6-1. In boys doubles, Drew Walker and Hayes Holliman won 6-4, 6-3 at the No. 1 spot while Seth Gipson and Caden Chaney won 6-1, 6-0 at the No. 2 spot. In girls doubles, Katie Lynn McDonald and Reese Thoms won 6-4, 6-1 at the No. 1 spot while Ellie Russell and Erin Tullos won 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 2 spot. Keaton Gray and Samantha Boykin won 6-2, 6-2 in mixed doubles.
In the finals, New Albany won 7-0 as the Bulldogs took home another Class 4A state championship.
In the individual state tournament, County had two teams make the finals before falling short. In boys singles, Braiden Estes beat North Pontotoc 5-7, 6-2, 11-9 in the first round and then beat Houston 2-6, 6-1, 10-5 in the second round. He then lost 6-2, 6-1 to Northeast Jones in the semifinals. In girls singles, Alissa Luke lost 6-3, 6-3 to South Pontotoc in the first round.
In boys doubles, Drew Walker and Hayes Holliman lost 6-4, 6-4 to New Albany in the first round. Meanwhile Seth Gipson and Caden Chaney beat Sumral 6-3, 7-6(1) ib the first round. They then lost 6-1, 7-5 to New Albany in the second round.
In girls doubles, Katie Lynn McDonald beat Newt Albany 6-3, 6-3 in the first round and then beat Kosciusko 6-3, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. They then beat Amory 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals before falling 3-6, 7-6, 10-2 to New Albany in the finals. County’s Ellie Russell and Erin Tullos lost 6-2, 6-4 to Sumrall in the first round.
In mixed doubles, Keaton Gray and Samantha Boykin beat South Pontotoc 6-3, 6-1 in the first round and then beat Pass Christian 6-2, 6-2 in the second round. County then beat Itawamba 6-7, 6-4, 10-6 in the semifinals before falling 6-4, 6-1 to New Albany in the finals.
