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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Coaches have said for a hundred years that you not only have to be good, you have to be lucky. Davie’s tennis team has been good – it has a 17 win streak in regular-season matches – and it has been lucky.

In fact, the War Eagles appear to have a permanent horseshoe. Last year during their 14-1 joyride, they went 4-0 in 5-4 matches. They recaptured the magic in the CPC opener against visiting Reynolds on Aug. 22, winning by – you guessed it – a 5-4 margin. It was the third straight win over the Demons, who lost 6-3 twice to Davie in 2021.

“I knew they were going to be coming for us, especially after losing two close ones to us last year,” coach Collin Ferebee said. “So if it was more than 6-3 on either side, I was going to be surprised.”

While Elliot Newsome (6-1, 6-0) breezed at No. 1, Karlie Quinn and Leslie Newsom (6-4, 7-5) pulled out nailbiters at Nos. 2 and 5, respectively. Quinn was really pushed to the brink, but she survived by scores of 7-6 (8-6), 5-7, 10-8, and it was 3-3 after singles.

Davie stretched its CPC winning streak to 13 by taking two of three doubles.

Quinn/Tru Koren completely dominated, 8-0, at No. 1. Sarah West Marklin/Bailey Aderhold had little trouble, 8-3, at No. 3.

“I gave Karlie player of the match because she’s the only one that won both of her matches, and she’s the one who kept us in it,” Ferebee said. “I was really proud of (Marklin and Aderhold) because they both had tough matches in singles that they were on the wrong side of. They flipped that mental switch and went out there and won the match that won us the match.”

Yes, it was a big win, but Ferebee tempered his enthusiasm because he knows this was just the first of many league tests.

“West Forsyth returned largely the same team (from 2021), so I kind of know what they’re going to bring,” he said. “Reagan doesn’t stay down very long – if you consider tied for second down. So I’m expecting a battle with them as I always do.”

•••

Two days later in a road nonconference match, Davie (3-0) handed North Davidson a 9-0 drubbing.

Newsome (6-2, 6-2), Quinn (6-0, 6-0), Koren (6-0, 6-0), Marklin (6-1, 6-0), Newsom (6-1, 6-0) and Aderhold (6-0, 6-0) took care of business in singles. The doubles winners were Quinn/Gabby Thompson (8-3), Casey Cao/Brooklyn Lakey (8-4) and Olivia Swisher/Ali Cranfill (8-5).

North fell to 1-3.