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After a victory to open the season at the Bearcat Brawl, the Bainbridge High School tennis teams have stayed hot as they have earned wins against Pelham and Providence Christian School. Both the boys and girls team dominated Pelham, winning all five sets and stayed consistent against Providence Christian as the boys team took home three sets and the girls team took home four sets.

Being able to open the season 3-0 is exactly how the Bearcats envisioned their season as they try to take the season one match at a time. Although both teams are skilled with experienced leaders, being able to get into a rhythm early in the season has calmed their preseason nerves. The intensity of their practices and competitive nature of each player allows them to go into each match with confidence.

“​​They have all been coming to practice and working hard everyday,” said Coach Xavier Bell.  “Whatever Coach Thomas and I ask of them, they give 100% effort to make it happen. The hard work from practice shows on match days as confidence.”

In the boys match against Pelham, Cullen Glover earned a 6-2 victory in one singles, Joseph Marshall earned a 6-1 victory in two singles, Thomas Shockley earned a 6-1 victory in three singles,1 doubles Skylar Jones and Tucker Surratt went 6-0 and 6-1 in one doubles and Matthew Springer and Gamble Tabb went 6-0 and 6-3 in two doubles.

In the girls match against Pelham, 1 singles Rylan Bland won 6-0 twice in one singles and Gibbs Palmer also saw a 6-0 sweep in two singles. Coach Xavier has been thoroughly impressed with the leadership by this group of four and their dedication to perfection on the court.

“For the boys, Cullen Glover and Joseph Marshall have been our top performers,” said Bell.  “They have had some tough matches, and they have been able to stay focused and find ways to win. For the girls, Rylan Bland and Gibbs Palmer have been our top performers. Rylan has shown her will to fight for a victory, and Gibbs, as a freshman, has shown a lot of toughness on the court.”

Although the Bearcats have found success early, Coach Bell knows that each day there are little things they must work on to take the next step. The Bearcats know that if they continue to attack each day and consistently work hard, their dreams of a region championship will draw closer.

“After each match, Coach Thomas and I compare notes of the little things that we would like to focus on in the next practice,” said Bell. “We work on the small things to give our players more confidence as we go into our next match. “If our players continue to work hard daily, I know that they will continue to succeed.”

Something that this year’s Bearcats group has especially excelled at is creating a team-first atmosphere. During matches, each player is focused, involved and invested in their teammate even when they aren’t competing. The leadership in this year’s group is visible.

“I credit the family atmosphere to the great senior leadership,” said Bell. “As leaders, they do a great job of keeping everyone on task, but they also make a point to let everyone know that they have their backs at all times. As a result, that support is returned.”

The Bearcats season continues this week as they travel to Valdosta on Tuesday night to take on Valdosta High School.