FAYETTEVILLE — The Richmond Senior High School boys’ tennis team finally got its spring slate started Monday after getting rained out twice last week.
Third-year head coach Patrick Hope and the Raiders made the trip to Seventy-First High School and picked up a season-opening win.
Richmond defeated the Falcons, a program that is co-ed and in its first season, 9-0 in the Sandhills Athletic Conference opener.
The Raiders went 6-0 in the singles matches, before picking wins in all three of the doubles contests. Five of the six singles matches were straight-set wins for Richmond, while the No. 6 seed was a forfeit win.
Richmond earned one doubles win in straight sets, while the other two were forfeit victories.
“It felt good to finally get on the court against a different opponent,” Hope said. “Seventy-First is a co-ed team because they didn’t offer girls tennis in the fall and they’re trying to build the sport up.
“We still have a lot to learn,” he added of the Raiders’ performance. “But it’s easier to learn with a win.”
Taking over the role as the Raiders’ No. 1 seed was junior Bradford Pittman, who blanked Aaliyah Smith 6-0, 6-0 in the top-seeded match.
Fellow juniors No. 2 Karym Ojeda and No. 3 Alex Yates also won their respective matches 6-0, 6-0, defeating Carlos Soto and Terion Wash in their first matches of the year.
All three Raiders are returners from last season.
Newcomers in No. 4 freshman Ty Murray and No. 5 junior Mack West won their first career matches. Murray took down Jenay Lewis in straight sets, while West blanked Jamya Davis by the same tally.
Freshman No. 6 Ethan McDonald was credited with the forfeit win in the last singles match due to Seventy-First not having a player.
Murray and McDonald paired up to defeat Smith and Soto in the No. 1 doubles match 8-0. By way of forfeit, Richmond was also awarded wins in the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles contests.
“This will be a confidence builder for the two big matches we have this week against Purnell Swett and Pinecrest,” Hope closed.
The Raiders (1-0, 1-0 SAC) will return to the court Tuesday for a home match against conference foe Purnell Swett High School (1-0, 1-0 SAC). Matches will begin at 4 p.m.
