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SPORTS NOTEBOOK: Tennis teams head on the road for state playoffs
Brooke Maseda
In this file photo, Brooke Maseda (Effingham County) crossed the finish line first in the girls’ 1600 race at 5:44.78 in a recent meet. She finished fourth last weekend in the same event with a time of 6:07.48 at the Lakeside Evans' Pre-Spring Break Invitational. - photo by Gilbert Miller

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald



The boys and girls tennis teams of Effingham County High School and the girls’ tennis team from South Effingham will be looking to make a racket on the road in the upcoming state tournament.

The three local teams advanced from the seven-team Region 2-6A tournament last weekend. The ECHS boys and girls had third-place finishes and South’s girls were fourth.

Region 2 matches up with Region 1 in the first round of state, which must be completed by April 20. Region 1 has not held its region tournament yet, but No. 1 and No. 2 seedings will host No. 4 and No. 3 respectively.

Region 2 got an early start, and with rain in the forecast for March 28, the Rebels moved up their first-round matches to March 27. The boys topped Brunswick 3-0 and the girls beat Grovetown 3-0.

South’s girls defeated Evans 3-0 while the Mustangs boys were eliminated by Lakeside Evans 5-0.

The region’s remaining four boys and four girls’ teams then competed at the Petersburg Racquet Club in Martinez on March 30 with seedings for state on the line. In the semifinals, all three local teams lost – ECHS boys and girls to Lakeside and the SEHS girls to Glynn Academy.

In consolation play, the ECHS boys defeated Grovetown and the ECHS girls held off South, avenging a regular-season loss to the Mustangs on March 15.



LACROSSE

ECHS-Richmond Hill girls match rescheduled



The key Class 5A-6A, Area 7 girls’ lacrosse contest between Effingham County and Richmond Hill on March 30 was rescheduled for April 14 in Richmond Hill.

In a text, Rebels’ coach Amber Roe said there was only one official to call the game and both coaches agreed they wanted two for the region clash.

The rescheduling was particularly disappointing for Richmond Hill, which had Senior Night planned. The Wildcats’ seniors still received flowers and took photos at their stadium, albeit without a game.

ECHS (7-3, 2-2 5A-6A Area 7) will be back in action April 12 against rival South Effingham.



TRACK AND FIELD

Thomas sets ECHS’ 3200 mark


Senior Levi Thomas completed a sweep of Effingham County’s boys’ long-distance records by recording a 10:13.80 in the 3200-meter run at Lakeside Evans’ Pre-Spring Break Invitational to smash the former record set by Jesse Campbell by about 13 seconds.

Thomas set the school’s 1600-meter mark with a 4:41.44 at the recent Rebel Invitational and had the school’s cross country mark with a 16:54 during the fall.

In other top-five ECHS performances at Lakeside, for the boys – Jeremiah Chance (200, 1st, 22.66), Thomas (3200, 3rd, 10:13.80), 4 X 200 relay (2nd, 1:29.75), Cory Dekle (TJ, 1st, 42-4.5).

For ECHS’ girls – Brooke Maseda (1600, 4th, 6:07.48 and 3200, 5th, 12:30.10), 4 X 200 relay (3rd, 1:49.55), 4 X 800 relay (5th, 12:37.90), Roneisha Goss (HJ, 1st, 5-0 and LJ, 3rd, 17-1.5) and Braylin Nease (HJ, 3rd, 4-10). 

 

 

SEHS girls compete in Savannah


South Effingham’s Mia Fitzpatrick, Christeon Lewis and Aubrey Edge had first-place finishes to lead the Mustangs girls in the 22-team Savannah-Chatham County Public School System’s Friday Night Lights track and field meet at Savannah High School.

Fitzpatrick was a winner in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:39.45. Lewis won the 100 hurdles with a 16.77 and Edge skied 9-0 to top the competition in the pole vault.

SEHS also had three relay teams capture firsts.

Here are the Mustangs who finished in the top five: Paris Kelley (100, 3rd, 13.56), Summer Cole (400, 3rd, 1:07.53), Caroline Motes (400, 4th, 1:08.23), Fitzpatrick (800, 1st, 2:39.45 and discus, 5th, 78-05), Brianna Barber (800, 4th, 2:49.97 and 1600, 5th, 6:04.93), Patricia Backlund (3200, 3rd, 13:41.70), Magdalene Morgan (3200, 4th, 13:41.61), Lewis (100 H, 1st, 16.77 and 300 H, 2nd, 51.31), Riley Browne (HJ, 2nd, 4-10), Kymberlea Coppin (HJ, 5th, 4-8), Madison Mills (TJ, 3rd, 30-01.5), Rylee Smith (TJ, 4th, 28-00.0), Edge (PV, 1st, 9-0), Allie Grassi (PV, 3rd, 8-6), Jamie Grooms (PV, 4th, 8-0), Relays (4 X 100, 2nd, 51.28), (4 X 200, 1st, 1:50.87), (4 X 400, 1st, 4:31.23), (4 X 800, 1st, 11:15.13).

The Mustangs will be back in action April 11 hosting the South Effingham Invitational.