Fike High senior Zoe Mitchell keeps her eyes on the ball during her No. 3 singles match against Hunt’s Emma Reel in Wednesday’s match at Fike. Paul Durham | Times
There was trouble at the top and the bottom of the lineup for the Fike High girls tennis team on Senior Day against Hunt on Wednesday afternoon, but the rest was all Golden Demons.
Fike lost at Nos. 1 and 2 singles but gave up just three points in the other four singles matches en route to a 6-3 win that clinched a fourth straight 3-A Quad County Conference championship for the Golden Demons. It was the 55th straight QCC win without a loss for Fike, which rose to 17-0 overall and 13-0 in conference matches with just Thursday’s rescheduled match at South Johnston between it and fourth consecutive perfect QCC season.
The Warriors, who lost 8-1 at home to Fike on Sept. 9, got wins from No. 1 Reagan Owens and No. 2 Callie Mooring as well as their No. 3 duo of Ella Marks-Amy Hernandez as they slipped to 7-6 overall and 6-6 in conference. Hunt has to go back to West Johnston on Thursday to complete a suspended match and then do the same at home Friday against Smithfield-Selma.
Hunt High senior Reagan Owens hits a backhanded shot during her No. 1 singles match against Fike’s Holland Ellis on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Fike. Paul Durham | Times
The match of the day was on the first court where Owens rallied to beat her longtime friend and tennis rival Holland Ellis in three sets. Ellis, a junior, won the first set 7-5 before Owens came back 6-2 in the second set. Owens surged ahead early in the third-set tiebreaker and eventually took a 10-6 win for the match.
That left the friends tied 2-2 through four matches in the past two seasons.
“Usually about every other year Hunt is our Senior Day opponent, or we are theirs, and it always brings out some interesting matches,” said Fike head coach Lee Matthews. “The girls all know each other, and in some cases they are close friends.”
Hunt’s Callie Mooring takes aim at the ball during a match at Fike on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Paul Durham | Times
Mooring didn’t need three sets to stop Fike senior Kaden Biamby on court No. 2, winning 6-2, 6-4.
The rest of the singles matches overwhelmingly went to Fike. Senior Zoe Mitchell picked up her 16th win as she whitewashed Hunt’s Emma Reel 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 while Demons junior Emory Skinner remained perfect through 16 matches after beating Darby Davis 6-0, 6-1.
Freshmen Kensley Hill and Sarah Garrett Lamm won convincingly at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively, for Fike.
Fike junior Emory Skinner reaches to hit a shot during warmups for doubles during Wednesday’s home match against Hunt. Paul Durham | Times
Ellis and Biamby took revenge on Owens and Mooring with an 8-2 win at No. 1 doubles while Mitchell-Skinner downed Hunt’s Reel-Davis by the same margin.
Marks-Hernandez prevailed 8-5 at No. 3 for Hunt against freshman Anna Brooks Warenda and McKenna Smith, one of three Fike seniors along with Biabmy and Mitchell to be honored after the match.
Fike High senior Kaden Biamby hits a shot during her No. 2 singles match against Hunt’s Callie Mooring on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Fike. Paul Durham | Times
FIKE 6, HUNT 3
Reagan Owens (H) d. Holland Ellis 5-7, 6-2, (10-6); Callie Mooring (H) d. Kaden Biamby 6-2, 6-4; Zoe Mitchell (F) d. Emma Reel 6-0, 6-0; Emory Skinner (F) d. Darby Davis 6-0, 6-1; Kensley Hill (F) d. Ella Marks 6-0, 6-0; Sarah Garrett Lamm (F) d. Amy Hernandez 6-0, 6-2.
Ellis-Biamby (F) d. Owens-Mooring 8-2; Mitchell-Skinner (F) d. Reel-Davis 8-2; Marks-Hernandez (H) d. Anna Brooks Warenda-McKenna Smith 8-5.
Rivals on the court and friends off of it, Hunt senior Reagan Owens, left, and Fike junior Holland Ellis shake hands and hug after their No. 1 singles match Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Fike. Paul Durham | Times
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