The Grand boys tennis team kicked off its season with a 4-1 victory over Carbon on Tuesday, March 25, before traveling to the St. George Invitational on Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29, where they went 1-3. Junior Elijah Stock went 4-1 for the week in No. 1 singles, with each of his victories coming in straight sets.
Against Carbon, Stock won his first match of the year 6-2, 6-0, while juniors Alec Tatton in No. 2 singles and Mack Sherill in No. 3 singles each soundly beat their Dino foes as well, both winning 6-0, 6-1.
Both doubles matches went to the wire as sophomores Tommy Dewitt and Josh Lawley won their first set 6-3 before dropping the second set 2-6. The third set went to a tiebreaker before they were finally able to pull it out 7-6 (7-5). Junior Dallin Porter and sophomore Derek Johnson lost their first set in No. 2 doubles 3-6, before claiming the second 6-3. They lost the third set 3-6 for Grand’s only match loss of the afternoon.
The boys tennis team this year is comprised entirely of juniors and sophomores, but still had the upperhand, coach Ed DeFrancia said.
“Carbon is a little less experienced than we are, so we kind of had an easy go if it,” he said. “It was a good way to start the season.”
In their first match of the St. George Invitational on Friday, The Red Devils were shut out by Snow Canyon 0-5. DeFrancia said Stock looked nervous in his match, while Sherill played competitively in his loss.
Grand switched its rotation up in its match against Wasatch later on Friday. Stock won 6-4, 6-1 in No. 1 singles, while Tatton lost in No. 2 singles, Johnson lost in No. 3 singles, Dewitt and Sherill lost in No. 1 doubles, despite playing some of the best tennis DeFrancia said he had seen all week, and Lawley and sophomore Austin Aubry in No. 2 doubles.
Saturday against Pine View, Stock won his match 6-0, 6-2 and Tatton joined him in the win column, 3-6, 6-0, 10-5. Dewitt almost captured a victory in No. 3 singles, losing the first set 4-6 before winning the second 6-2. He lost the tiebreaker 10-7. The doubles tandems on Sherill and Johnson, and Porter and Aubry, each lost in straight sets.
“We looked nervous,” DeFrancia said about many of Grand’s performances. “I had to keep reminding them that there’s no pressure. We came here to get experience and match time in against quality competition.”
The Red Devils finished the invitational off against Summit Academy, the only other 2A school in attendance. DeFrancia said the two schools were evenly matched and played “very competitive” tennis.
Stock won his match in straight sets and Tatton lost his first set 0-6 before rebounding in the second set 7-5 and snatching the tiebreaker 10-6. Lawley lost in straight sets at No. 3 singles, but Dewitt and Sherill secured victory for Grand with a 6-1, 6-1 win in No. 1 doubles. Johnson and Aubry won their first set 7-5 in No. 2 doubles, but lost the second set 3-6 before losing the tiebreaker 1-10.
The Red Devils were also scheduled to play at home versus San Juan on Tuesday, April 1. Their match versus Delta, originally scheduled for Thursday, April 3, has been rescheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 23. Grand is next scheduled to play at Gunnison at 10:30 a.m., and at Manti at 3:30 p.m., on Tuesday, April 8.
Stock off to hot start in No. 1 singles
“Carbon is a little less experienced than we are, so we kind of had an easy go if it. It was a good way to start the season,”
