Gilmer and Fannin County tennis players braved the cold last Tuesday to begin the season.
The GHS Lady Cats topped the host Rebels 4-1, and the Bobcats took their match, 3-2. Gilmer was in Dalton two days later for another chilly affair. The Lady Cats lost 4-1, and the Bobcats were swept.
Pro-8 set scoring was used Tuesday because of the weather, and it being a nonregion match. Lady Cats Ollie Burnett and Lyric Lowman won their matches in the top-two singles spots by respective scores of 8-6 and 8-3. Fannin’s lone win came on the No. 3 singles court where GHS had to forfeit.
Gilmer’s Ellie Teague and Jessica Futch took their No. 1 doubles match 8-1 before Charlotte Davenport and Lyla Engle closed out the day with a 8-2 victory.
The Rebels won the top singles match over Ethan Cole, 8-3. Gilmer’s No. 2 Law Lykins got the Bobcats on the board with an 8-0 win, and Fannin forfeited in the No. 3 singles match.
Lykins and Kolby Reece teamed up for an 8-1 triumph. Eder Martinez and Larz Fowler fell, 8-1.
Teague and Futch secured Gilmer’s only win versus Dalton in No. 1 doubles, 7-5, 6-2. Davenport and Engle lost 6-0, 6-1, and singles Burnett (6-1, 6-0), Lowman (6-0, 6-1) and Madison Bradshaw (6-1, 6-1) were defeated as well.
Dalton won the boys matches over Cole (6-1, 6-0), Lykins (6-2, 7-6, 6-1 TB), Reece (6-0, 6-3), Fowler and Martinez (6-0, 6-0) and Rylan Freeman and AJ McClure (6-2, 6-0).