By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP
Advance Managing Editor
The Escambia County High School girls' tennis team began their season the way they wanted to – with a big win over Baldwin County High School, 9-0.
Playing 10-game pro sets, the Lady Blue Devils dominated play as each girl won their match and then turned around and swept the doubles matches as well.
Number one seed Brandy Rigsby won her match 10-6; number two Sarah Stephens won 10-2; Karla Martin, number three seed, won her match 10-5; number four Abbey Helton played well for a 10-1 victory; number five Miranda Williams also won her match 10-1 and Mary Catherine Faircloth completed the sweep in singles play with a 10-0 shut-out.
In doubles play, Rigsby and Stephens edged out a win over BCHS' top two seeded players, 11-9, Martin and Helton had little trouble as they cruised to a 10-2 victory and Williams and Faircloth completed the shutout with a 10-3 win.
ECHS tennis coach Frankie Bell said the win was exactly what the Lady Devils needed.
The girls' tennis team is returning five players from last year's squad.
The boys' tennis team did not fare as well as the Lady Devils as they fell to Baldwin County, 1-8.
Jonathan Jay, the Blue Devils' number six seed was the only one to come away with a win as he edged out his competition in singles' play, 11-9.
The boys start the season with Randy August playing as the number one seed; Troy Daughtry is number two; the number three seed is Miles Cunningham; number four is Trioton Daughtry; Brad Orso is playing as the number five seed and Jay completes the roster as the sixth member.
In doubles play against Baldwin County, August and Tro. Daughtry combined to suffer the loss. Cunningham and Tri. Daughtry were doubles partners as was Orso and Jay.
Bell said the boys have a lot of potential, but that they needed to gain more experience.