Chiefs split in tennis
WALLA WALLA — Their goals were like many teams as they started the 2010 tennis season.
But for the Moses Lake High School boys’ team, their list had one special mention, one extra gravy goal:
Beat Walla Walla.
On Thursday the Chiefs picked up their figurative black marker and drew a solid line through that objective after they defeated their rivals 5-2 at Walla Walla.
“Walla Walla is the closes thing we have to a rival in the league,” Moses Lake coach Jon Wrigley said. “When the players discus goals at the beginning of the season, beat Walla Walla is always on a few lists. The intensity of the match every year creates this friendly rivalry. They are always near us in the standing and the games are always close.”
Yet despite being down two doubles players, Wrigley’s mixing and matching of the Chiefs’ lineup worked out fine as they swept all three matches.
Dominico Cacchiotti and Brendan McKinney won at No. 1 with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-2, come-from-behind victory, while Josh Black and John Meliah took a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 2.
The No. 3 pairing of Nat Menquist and Madison Filan also pulled off a rally victory, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, to finish of the sweep at doubles.
“I told my doubles teams that even though we were playing a road game those nets belong to us for the day,” Wrigley said. “Across the board the message was received as we took the net away from them.”
The pairing of Menquist and Filan may have played their way into a new playing partnership.
“Off of today’s match I think that team may be reformed on a permanent basis,” Wrigley said. “They play with the positive energy I’ve been calling for all year.”
In singles play the top two players — No. 1 Connor Lange and No. 2 Conner Koreis — pulled out wins for Moses Lake.
Lange took a 6-0, 6-4 decision while Koreis wrapped up a 6-3, 6-3 win.
Mikael Mulugeta dropped his match at No. 3 singles while his Moses Lake teammate, Nathen Osborne fell at No. 4.
Walla Walla girls 4, Moses Lake 3
The Chiefs girls came so close to a pivotal Big 9 win but Walla Walla found a way to win three-of-four singles matches and then pull out one victory in doubles to hold off the Moses Lake challenge.
Jessica Homesley pulled out the sole singles win for Moses Lake winning at No. 4, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).
The top three singles players — Rachel Korth, Rachel Hofsetter, and Melissa Calder — all fell in two sets.
The Moses Lake girls took advantage of some lineup changes at doubles as well, win at No. 1 behind the play of Audrey Ramsden and Chantel Dejarlais as they captured a 6-4, 6-3 decision.
No. 2 doubles players, Iris Banks and Monica Torres pulled out a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 win for the other Chiefs’ victory.
“I switched Jessica and Audrey at No. 4 single and first doubles and we were rewarded with two wins,” Wrigley said. “I made the change hoping to get more balls in play at singles and the firepower in doubles. While it is not necessarily the goal of the players to play those sports I think they will have better success.”
Despite another close loss, Wrigley is appreciating what he sees from his girls team.
“Growth was shown as Walla Walla came to our place last year and swept us,” Wrigley said. “While we lost, the match went down to the last court.”