Oxford tennis earns 10th consecutive state championship berth

Published 8:10 am Wednesday, May 3, 2017

The road to a perfect 10 requires only one more stop. Oxford is just one more win away from claiming their 10th consecutive state championship after dispensing of Grenada by a score of 6-1 in

Tuesday’s Class 5A North Half championship match at FNC’s John Leslie Courts.

The Chargers will host Stone County next Monday to decide the 5A state championship at 9 a.m.

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“This many years and watching this many matches, there’s not a whole lot of surprises at this point,” Oxford head coach Louis Nash said. “When you play the schedule we’ve played. You prepare by playing all the best teams. Then you get to the playoffs and we’re going to be OK. Not going to be nervous or intimidated.”

There has been little intimidation on the Chargers part, who have run roughshod over their playoff competition once again and look primed to defeat who has become a regular foe on the other side of the net for yet another state title next week.

On Tuesday, Oxford made quick work of the Chargers of Grenada by clinching the match with a 4-0 score in less than an hour of beginning play.

Gordon Whitwell was the first to put a number on the board for Oxford, winning the boy’s singles point in straight sets with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Grenada’s Webb Roberts. Next to finish up was the team of Ryan Mounce and Max Mauney with a 6-0, 6-0 win over the team of Ben Brashier and Bratton Willoughby in the boy’s doubles No. 1 match. Grace Anne Jones finished up third with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Molly Love to clinch the girl’s singles point. The team of Bo Nash and Savannah Nagle won the mixed doubles point with a 6-1, 6-0 score to seal the win for Oxford.

The other two wins came from boy’s doubles No. 2 with Jimmy Green and Josh Morgan defeating Joshn Maugham and Cammie Moore. The team of Amanda Lowery and Olivia Williams defeated Kailee Dorris and Naomi Wise with a 6-1, 6-4 score for the girl’s doubles No. 2 point.

The team of Claire Stevens and Anne Hardy dropped their girl’s doubles No. 1 match in three sets to Lindsay Griffin and Tia Topps as the only blemish on Oxford’s day.

Home court advantage
For the first time in program history, Oxford will not have to leave the city limits to play for a state championship as John Leslie Courts will be the site for the Class 5A state title match as well as the Class 1A/2A and 3A state championship matches on Monday.

Last season Lafayette was the host as 4A was played in Oxford while the Chargers played in Jackson. When the new tennis center was constructed last year this was a goal of Nash’s to be able to host championship events.