RAEFORD — Wednesday marked the start of the boys’ tennis Sandhills Athletic Conference tournament at Hoke County High School, and the Richmond Raiders met some “tough” competition along the way.
Head coach Patrick Hope saw his No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, as well as his No. 2 and No. 3 doubles pairings, make a quick exit from the tournament.
Senior Kevin Campos, who recently signed to play tennis at Thiel College in Pennsylvania, faced off against Scotland High School’s No. 1 player Hunter Edkins. Although Campos hung tough through the first set, he would ultimately fall to Edkins by final scores of 3-6, 0-6.
Also putting together a solid effort in the No. 2 singles match was sophomore Bradford Pittman. The Raider battled Pinecrest High School’s Will Blackwood. Like his teammate, Pittman’s attempt came up just short, as Blackwood beat him 6-1, 6-2.
Campos and Pittman were the lone Raider singles players, but seniors Mason Bailey and Caleb Brewer, along with sophomores Karym Ojeda and Alex Yates, represented Richmond in the doubles competition.
Brewer and Bailey competed in the No. 2 doubles match, facing off against Pinecrest’s Will Bode and Charlie Hodges.The pair of Patriots rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win, blanking Brewer and Bailey in the process.
Things weren’t much better for Ojeda and Yates in the No. 3 doubles match, as they, too, were shutout. They battled Scotland’s duo of Nick Murphy and Drew Monroe, who ended the match with a 6-0, 6-0 victory.
“We drew some tough competition in the first round,” Hope said following the match. “Hodges and Bode won doubles in the SAC last year, and also made it to states. The other competition we played today has a strong chance to represent the conference at regionals.
“But we still have more tennis to play,” he added.
Richmond will shift its focus from the SAC tournament to two regular-season makeup matches. The Raiders will finish their season at Jack Britt High School on Wednesday, April 17, and Scotland on Thursday, April 18. Both were rain outs prior to the SAC tournament, and will begin at 4 p.m.
