Demons blaze past CBA in Quad County showdown

Until further notice, Fike High is still the queen of 3-A Quad County Conference girls tennis.

The Golden Demons, who have won three straight regular-season titles, claimed their 46th straight conference match Wednesday when they stopped visiting C.B. Aycock 6-1 in a battle of unbeaten teams ranked in the top 10 of the North Carolina High School Tennis Coaches Association 3-A poll.

The match, which started at 5 p.m. in a effort to reduce the effect of high temperatures Wednesday afternoon, was halted at 9 p.m. by prior agreement between head coaches Donald Clark of CBA and Lee Matthews of Fike with the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles matches suspended.

The win was the seventh overall for No. 3 Fike, which assumed sole ownership of first place in the Quad County at 4-0 while the No. 7 Golden Falcons slipped to 8-1 and 3-1, respectively.

“This was a very good, competitive tennis match, as you would hope for in a battle for first place,” said Matthews, who celebrated his 400th victory as Fike girls tennis coach. “Even with the delayed start, and taking precautions with hydration and rest, the heat was a factor.”

Fike got a quick point from the heat at No. 2 singles when Aycock’s Madison Smith retired due to cramps while trailing Fike’s Kaden Biamby 1-0 in the second set after losing the first set 7-5. But that was about the only quick match played in the sizzling late summer heat. Senior Zoe Mitchell was the next to chalk up a point for the Demons when she stopped CBA’s Allie Gray 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 to match Biamby’s 7-0 singles mark.

Junior Emory Skinner downed Laura Moore 6-1, 6-3 on court 4 for her sixth singles win without a loss, giving Fike a 3-0 lead.

On the far court by the water tower, Fike freshman Sarah Garrett Lamm worked her way past Aubrey Edmundson 6-3, 6-4 leaving only Nos. 1 and 5 still to be decided. Senior Holland Ellis outlasted CBA freshman Kannyn Fail 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1 to clinch the match while Fike freshman Kensley Hill and Aycock senior Maya Pitt remained on court 5. Pitt eventually grinded to a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory for the Falcons’ lone point, handing Hill her first loss after five wins.

In the only doubles match that was completed, Ellis-Biamby downed CBA’s Fail-Gray 8-4. Fike’s Mitchell-Skinner led Moore-Pitt of CBA 5-3 in the No. 2 doubles match while the Demons’s Hill-Lamm were a point from beating Edmundson-Katelynn McDermott at No. 3 with a 7-3 lead.

Aycock will host East Carteret in a nonconference match Thursday, Aug. 29, before welcoming West Johnston in a return to Quad County play on Tuesday, Sept. 3, when the Demons travel to East Wake.

FIKE 6, C.B. AYCOCK 1

Holland Ellis (F) def. Kannyn Fail 6-2, 6-4; Kaden Biamby (F) def. Madison Smith 7-5, 1-0, retired; Zoe Mitchell (F) def. Allie Gray 6-2, 6-3; Emory Skinner (F) def. Laura Moore 6-1, 6-3; Maya Pitt (CBA) def. Kensley Hill 6-4, 7-6(6); Sarah Garrett Lamm def. Aubrey Edmundson 6-3, 6-4.

Ellis-Biamby (F) def. Fail-Gray 8-4; Mitchell-Skinner (F) led Moore-Pitt 5-3, suspended; Hill-Lamm (F) led Edmundson-Katelynn McDermott 7-3, suspended.

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