Mustangs win matches on home tennis courts

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Sports

March 26, 2010 - 12:00 AM

Iola High’s Mustangs made the most of playing at home Thursday. They don’t play tennis at home again this season.
The rain stayed away. It was windy and cool but the sun was out. Not even a small fire at Hawley Honey Company just a block away distracted the Mustang tennis players.
Senior Kent Toland cruis-ed through the No. 1 singles division of the IHS quadrangular. Toland dropped just one game in his three matches.
Michael Middleton, an-other senior,  won two of three in No. 2 singles. Iola’s No. 1 doubles team of seniors Chase Vaughn and Alec Peterson did the same in their division.
Mustang freshman duo Zeph Larney and Jordan Strickler won a match in the No. 2 doubles competition.
All in all, the Mustangs tied for first with Independence with eight points apiece. Columbus and Parsons also competed.
“Kent had trouble keeping his focus because his opponents didn’t require it but still dominated,” said Lyle Kern, Mustang tennis coach.
“Michael is getting better every match but ran up against a human backboard in the Independence player.”
Toland, who is now 7-0, defeated Andrae McClain of Columbus and Kevin Debald of Parsons by 8-0 counts. He posted an 8-1 decision over Austin Schroeder of Independence.
Middleton (5-2) breezed past Drake Brassart of Columbus 8-0, then beat Tyler Beardmore of Parsons 8-3. Skylar Stacy of Independence handed Middleton an 8-1 loss.
Vaughn and Peterson collected their first wins of the season. They outlasted Nick Holman and Yo Lee of Columbus 8-6 and beat Parsons’ Christian Moerlian and Eddie Lyons 8-1.
Peterson and Vaughn, now 2-5, dropped an 8-3 decision to Independence’s Michael Gudmonson and Sid Rutland.
“Alec and Chase are becoming familiar with each others’ games and are beginning to play as a team,” Kern said.
Larney and Strickler were playing in their first varsity tennis matches. They lost 8-3 to Columbus’ Thomas Niegisch and Cody Spainhower. Parsons’ Thatcher Murdock and Dalton Murdock beat the Iola freshmen 8-0.
But Larney and Strickler kept playing and in their third match they broke through. They defeated Scott Augustine and Bryan Ledman of Independence 8-5.
“I will be mixing up the No. 2 doubles teams in order to give them experience as well as figure out which two work together the best,” Kern said. “This combo did get a nice win over Independence.”
The Mustang players were not on the courts yet but other teams were when a fire at the Hawley Honey Company halted play for a bit. Spectators at the tennis meet called 911 to report the fire.
The fire was contained at the rear of the brick building  near a window. Hawley Honey employees became aware of the fire and had it out just before the Iola Fire Department arrived.
Play at the tennis courts resumed shortly after.
The Mustangs play in Saturday’s Neodesha High Invitational. Matches start at 9 a.m.

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