Leopards claw past Royal Knights

ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights boys and girls tennis teams battled the weather and South Central Athletic Conference rival Zillah Tuesday afternoon before falling to the Leopards.

The Royal boys tennis team fell 3-1-1 and the girls fared no better Tuesday as the Lady Leopards knocked off the Lady Knights 4-1 to earn the victory.

Royal and Zillah got off to a solid start Tuesday before the weather turned windy and chilly, affecting the players, said Royal head tennis coach Josh Drewry.

“It was pretty close,” he said. “Today’s (match was) cold, windy. The weather turned on us about 10 minutes in.”

The boys tennis team dropped both singles matches Tuesday when Royal No. 1 Ben Singer lost a two-set match to Zillah’s Cody Dunbar. Dunbar won the first set 6-2 before Singer rallied in the second, Drewry said.

“(Singer) lost a close match,” he said. “He had set-point a few times.”

However, Singer fell to Dunbar in straight sets.

Zillah continued to roll on the boys side when Troy Dunbar knocked off Candelario 6-0, 6-2 to help lift the Leopards to the victory.

Royal’s only win on the boys side came when doubles partners Angel Ledezma and Noah Grant knocked off Jesse McDonald and Marc Walker 6-2 and 6-3 to give the Knights the victory.

Royal forfeited the second doubles match and both the Knights and the Leopards were forced to a draw in the third doubles match.

The Lady Knights got off to a fast start on the girls side when Emily Hoelscher knocked off Zillah’s Rosetti Celis 6-2, 6-4 to help Royal to a 1-0 lead.

Zillah recovered from the loss in the first singles to win the second singles 6-1, 6-4 when Abby Bos beat Royal’s Bre Weisser.

Zillah swept the three doubles matches to take the contest 4-1.