Young Panthers open competition

The Powell High School tennis teams opened spring competition last Tuesday with identical 5-0 losses at the hands of Cody. Powell Middle School students competed at Cody the same day.

On the high school side, Lacey Eckerdt dropped a 6-4, 6-1 decision to Sharon Davis at No. 1 singles. The No. 2 singles match ended in a 6-3, 6-2 victory for Cody’s Katie Menig over Powell’s Brandi Voss.

Doubles action saw the Panther teams of Marisa Sanders and Crista Stutzman, Venice Saltz and Tellese Whitaker and Lauren Hopkin and Marina Pomeroy all fall in straight sets to their Cody counterparts. The Fillies also picked up a win in the day’s only JV doubles match with Whitaker pairing up with Rachael Bright to take the court for Powell.

Only one of the members of Powell’s varsity lineup for the meet had varsity experience in the fall competitive season, according to Panther tennis coach Ray Bieber.

“We’re pretty young,” he said. “This is new for a lot of these kids.”

On the boys’ side, the Panthers were able to force the action to tiebreaker sets on three occasions, but failed to come away with any wins.

At No. 1 singles, Eric Curtis dropped a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 decision to Chad Moir of Cody. Robert Speiser made things equally entertaining at No. 2 singles for the Panthers before succumbing by a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 final.

At No. 3 doubles, the Powell tandem of Logan Moore and Chi-Yo Huang captured the first set by a 6-4 count before losing 6-4, 7-5 in the last two sets to drop the decision. The No. 1 doubles tandem of Ashton Soloai and Todd Lewis an the No. 2 pairing of Dillon Jeffs and Sam Prestwich both fell in straight sets.

In junior varsity action, Soloai and Brian Amdahl were victorious for Powell, winning 6-3, 6-1.

In middle school action, Rachael Anderson and Susie Brinkerhoff won a 7-5 decision in doubles play. Megan Curtis and Bryann Michelson added a similar victory in their match.

Other Powell wins came from the tandem of Cydney Barrus and Laura Bright, who ralled from a 4-6 first-set loss to finish things 6-2, 6-1 and score the win. Anderson and Gatlin teamed up for a 6-3, 6-2 victory in another doubles match.

On the boys’ side, Matt Brown earned Powell’s only win with a 6-1 singles victory.

Brown and Dawson Hutzenbieler and Cameron Lawrence and Chase Wente each paired up to lose in three sets in doubles action for the middle school boys.