Tennis -- CBA takes out Saints

By David Williams
Published in Sports on April 7, 2004 2:02 PM

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DUDLEY -- Charles B. Aycock High School has a reuptation for excellence in girls tennis, one that has taken better than 20 years to develop.

Now, Golden Falcon tennis coach Luke Vail may be beginning to put together a similar reputation for his boys tennis program.

Southern Wayne's team would put up little argument after the Falcons beat the Saints 8-1 on the Southern Wayne courts Tuesday afternoon.

The key to the optimism is the youth of the team -- Aycock has but one senior and plays a pair of sophomores in the top six. All are sharp ground-strokers that cover the court and play the patient baseline game that Vail avdocates.

"We have some players who are going to be pretty good," Vail said. "We only lose one senior off this team, so we have the chance of being stronger next year."

The lone Southern Wayne win came from No. 1 singles, where four-year starter Jerome Frederick beat hard-serving Aycock junior Brandon Holland 6-2, 6-3. Frederick used a patient attack that resulted in long points.

"He's been with us for a long time," said Southern Wayne coach John Fonvielle. "He's reallly developed his game over the past few years."

The rest of the Saints fell victim to Aycock's experience. With the bottom three seeds as first-year freshmen, the Falcons surrendered just one game in those three matches.

Both coaches said the key to sustained improvement in boys tennis is a commitment to playing in the off-season, which seems to come more easily to girls than to boys.

"There's just not that much chance to play down here, unless you are with someone that plays," said Fonvielle.

Aycock moves to 6-4 and 5-2 in Eastern Carolina 3-A Confernce play with the victory, and will meet South Central in Pikeville this afternoon. Southern Wayne, winners of four matches and two conference clashes this season, will not play until after spring break. The Saints travel to West Carteret April 20.

Charles B. Aycock 8,

Southern Wayne 1

Singles -- No. 1 Jerome Frederick (SW) d. Brandon Holland 6-2, 6-3. No. 2 Danny Fairchild (CBA) d. Michael Moore 6-0, 6-3. No. 3 Sean Kelly (CBA) d. Matt McLamb 6-1, 6-1. No. 4 David Dodson (CBA) d. Justin Sutton 6-0, 6-0. No. 5 David Williams (CBA) d. Michael Albertson 6-1, 6-0. No. 6 John Ball (CBA) d. Sterling Blackman 6-0, 6-0. Doubles -- No. 1 Holland-Fairchild (CBA) d. Moore-McLamb 8-0. No. 2 Kelly-Dodson (CBA) d. Frederick-Sutton 8-3. No. 3 Rich Holder-Robbie Pearsall (CBA) d. Blackman-Allen Pangburn 8-1.