FACED WITH an unenviable first-round draw, Jefferson boys’ tennis team made a quick exit from the state tournament.
The Dragons (8-3) fell to third-ranked Lovett last Wednesday (April 20) at home, 3-1, ending Jefferson’s season.
“They’re a very good team,” coach Mike Paul said. “I thought we played as well as we could most of the day, and we got beat by a better team. And that’s why you play – to see if you can stack up with the better team.”
The Lions (12-7), despite being one of the best teams in the state, were only the third best team out of the tennis-heavy Region 8-AA – relegating them to a no. 3 seed for the state tournament.
That arrangement didn’t make things easy on Jefferson, which advanced to the Elite Eight last year.
No. 2 singles player Blair Buffington provided Jefferson’s lone victory, winning his final high school match 6-2, 6-2. No. 1 singles player Zach Bost was unable to finish his pairing. He was still playing when Lovett clinched the match with a victory at no. 3 singles. Ben Daniel fell at that position 6-1, 6-1.
Also coming up short were Brandon Clabo and Jordan Tyler at no. 1 doubles (0-6, 1-6) and Austin Pratt and Andrew James (1-6, 0-6).
The Jefferson-Lovett match was just another tough meeting for a Region 8-AA school trying to take down a Region 6-AA squad. Of the eight teams (boys and girls) from 8-AA that advanced to the state playoffs, only North Oconee’s girls advanced out of the first round.
Just two other squads – the North Oconee boys and the Jefferson boys – even won a match against their Region 6-AA counterparts.
Though the Dragons return one of the state’s best players in Bost, they’ll be a team in transition next year losing their no. 2 and 3 singles players.
