TENNIS: Mustangs stomp Hippos
This time the Mustangs beat Hutto, 18-1, Sept. 30 thanks to sweeping all singles matches and winning six of the seven doubles matches.
Head coach Josh Boyd said he was not surprised by the lopsided score.
“We should have won, 18-1,” he said. “(Hutto) is new to (Class) 4A. They haven’t played fall tennis. In 3A, you play during the (spring).”
Even when it looked like the Mustangs were falling in defeat, several of them fought back in three sets.
Two of the three boys doubles teams had to play three sets to win. Chase Carney and Blaine Hooten, at No. 1 doubles, won, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1. Tanner Parten and Jessiah Heaton, at No. 2 doubles, won, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
“I was proud of them,” the coach said. “Line one and line two lost a set and won in the third. That gave us confidence heading into singles.”
The mixed doubles team of Connor Docherty and Afton Heinatz won, 6-7, 7-5, 6-0.
“In the third set, they got confident and started rolling,” Boyd said. “They did pretty well.”
The three girls doubles teams lost only four of the 40 games that were played. Kyleigh Ann Futrell and Kristyn Cunningham won, 6-0, 6-1. Devon Dockery and Kelley Dowell also won, 6-0, 6-3. Korey Lane and Sarah Mohamed rolled, 6-0, 6-0.
Marble Falls lost only two sets in 12 singles matches. The Lady Mustangs did not drop a set.
“It’s good for the boys to get wins because they’ve struggled over the last several weeks,” the coach said.
And while the team is young and still learning the pace of playing on the varsity level, Boyd said he can see his players getting better, even after the loss to Lampasas, 12-7, several weeks ago.
“I don’t even see Lampasas as a setback,” he said. “I knew this year we’d struggle more because we’re so young.”
The coach said because of the losses of former standouts Logan Docherty, Hannah Mayfield and Charli Kilpatrick, he knew this season would be used for learning and helping athletes develop their games.
“The seniors last year, they only had one year with me,” he said. “But they started the ball rolling. Now we have the other ones stepping up.
“It’s getting to where I want it to be,” he added. “Some of the parents said, ‘They respect you and want to win for you.’ Right now, they’re wanting to win for each other and win for the program and the pride of Mustang tennis. That’s what it’s all about.”
Because he knows many of his athletes play in tournaments on their own, hit the courts on their own and don’t rely solely on their practice times together to get better, Boyd said he believes the program is headed in the right direction.
And a thumping like the one they recorded against Hutto is proof positive.
“I’m not going to be discouraged if we get third in district,” he said. “We’re getting it turned around. We have middle school kids coming along. We’re on the right path. That was my goal this year.”
