Lafayette earns berth in North Half

Published 12:01 pm Tuesday, April 26, 2016

For just the second time in school history, Lafayette will play for a North Half tennis championship.

Lafayette held off Pontotoc 4-3 on Monday in the second round of the MHSAA Class 4A playoffs at the John Leslie Tennis Center to advance to the North Half finals. The Commodores, whose only other state semifinal trip came four years ago, will host New Albany next week for the right to go to the state championships.

“Huge victory for this program,” Lafayette coach Debbie Swindoll said. “Only have two seniors.”

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The Commodores split the singles points with Sadie Wilson taking down Maggie McGregory 6-1, 6-0 on the girls’ side while Dawson Welch fell to Chet Wilson 6-3, 7-6 in boys.

Lafayette dropped both boys’ doubles points with Noah Addy and Lee McLarty falling 6-0, 6-4 at No. 1 and Will Carter and Foster Roush suffering a 6-4, 1-6, 7-1 setback at No. 2, but the Commodores rebounded in girls’ doubles. Emma Wilson and Halle Moore claimed a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 1 with Abby Arrington and Rachel Reed drawing Lafayette even with a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 2.

Mixed doubles put Lafayette over the top with Barrett Childress and Cara Anne Sallis rallying for a 6-7, 6-2, 10-7 victory.