The Ashley Ridge Boys Tennis Team jumped out to a 3-0 start this season.
The Swamp Foxes defeated Berkeley 4-2, Woodland 6-0, and claimed a 4-3 victory in a rematch with Berkeley March 13. Before the team had the chance to extend its winning streak, school was canceled due to the coronavirus.
“Thus far we have shown that if we can stay focused we can be a solid team down the ladder,” Ashley Ridge coach Sean McCawley said. “We have four players from last year’s starting line-up returning this season.”
Junior Hampton Plyler has returned to lead off the Ashley Ridge line up. Senior captain Dylan Johns is playing at No. 4 singles while junior Drayton Firzlaff is playing at No. 5. The fourth returning starter is junior Ryan Daley, who is playing No. 2 doubles with newcomer Walter Johnson.
Junior Daniel Schmedeke and seventh-grader Carter Hatcher round out the team’s current starting lineup. Other members of this year’s squad are Luke D’Orio, Jakob Benke, Reid Quade, Andrew Depenbrock, Jimmy Pugh, Braylen Bryan and Cameron Bartlett.
Johnson, an eighth-grader, and Daley had a big win against Berkeley to clinch the team’s last match.
“It is promising to see that we have a strong and capable No. 2 doubles team to rely on through the season,” McCawley said. “We made it to the second round of playoffs last year, so the goal is to at least return, if not improve on that result, if the season allows.”
Hatcher, Schmedeke and Johns are all undefeated in singles play.
