March 7, 2025 – The Hargrave Varsity Tennis team opened its season on the road against non-conference Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy. Both squads were excited and showed promise after a preseason shortened by poor weather and a plethora of school activities. Traveling to Bernard’s Landing with an abbreviated squad, the Tigers had some extra challenges. Several players made the most of their opportunity to step up higher on the Varsity competition ladder. And as expected, exhibition matches were also played including a great demonstration of sportsmanship as Tigers and Osprey’s combined to play some mixed doubles to maximize playing time (all-important in early season play as each player grows exponentially with every minute of match play).
Jack Pittman (Senior, Zionsville, IN) teamed with Isaac Wadsworth (Junior, San Antonio, FL) at 1st Doubles. While their match ended with a Tiger victory, the 6-1 score belied the good rallies within that match. The score could have easily fallen to the Osprey duo. At 2nd doubles, Patrick Souza (Senior, Chatham, VA) and David Mathurin (Freshman, Staten Island, NY) struggled with the pendulum nature of momentum. They ground ahead to a 5-2 lead to only see their opponents take the next 5 games to end up with an Osprey victory, 5-7. At 3rd doubles, Jerry Li (Junior, Sammamish, WA) and Brandon Hyon (8th grade, Devon, PA) teamed up to log a neat 6-2 victory. Rounding out the first phase of competition were two seeming opposites, Noah Oakes (7th grade, Dry Fork, VA), a veteran guiding his partner through his first competitive (albeit exhibition) match, Teshawn Ricks (Senior, Portsmouth, VA). They then switched partners to continue playing while the other doubles matches finished.
With the Tigers ahead 2-1 at the end of the doubles phase, the singles phase began. Pittman was up 4-1 before his service game faltered, allowing a determined James Agee to even the match at 4-4. Doing a mental reset, Pittman changed his first serve mindset and with momentum shifting back, his kick serve once again began to jump. Wadsworth, Mathurin, and Li each settled down into their respective singles matches to roll towards victories. Souza was not so successful but was ahead 7-6 when the match was called due to darkness. Schwartz was not able to play a singles match due to a forfeit (no opponent).
Varsity Tennis is now 1-0 for the season. They will open BRAC play at home this Thursday (3/13) against rival Eastern Mennonite at 4:30 pm at the Landon Tennis Center below Walter Davis gym. JV Tennis will open their season on the same day with non-conference play against the SMLCA JV squad at Bernard’s Landing at 4:30.
Note: a final scrimmage with SATA (to allow players with almost no experience to Varsity to gain experience) is scheduled for Tuesday (3/11) at George Washington HS at 4:30.
Summary of Individual Match Scores:
Doubles
#1 – Jack Pittman & Isaac Wadsworth v Ben Agee & James Agee W 6-1
#2 – David Mathurin & Patrick Souza v Lily Creger & David Plylar L 5-7
#3 – Jerry Li & Brandon Hyon v Harrison Mayo & Carrington Mayo W 6-2
Ex – Noah Oakes & Teshawn Ricks v Kylie Pierce (SMLCA) & Tristan Schwartz (HMA)
Ex – Oakes & Schwartz v Pierce (SMLCA) & Ricks (HMA)
Singles
#1 – Pittman v J. Agee W 8-4
#2 – Wadsworth v Creger W 8-1
#3 – Mathurin v Plylar W 8-2
#4 – Souza v H. Mayo stopped at 7-6
#5 – Li v Pierce W 8-0
#6 – Schwartz v forfeit n/a
