Pioneers trip Ashebrook
By Andy Kruse
Special to the Democrat

The Watauga men’s tennis team hosted the first round of the duals team state playoffs and defeated the Ashbrook Greenwave 8-1 Tuesday at the Carroll Complex.

The final score seems lopsided, but almost every match proved challenging for the Pioneers, who finished the regular season 12-3 and undefeated in the conference.

The only match won with ease for Watauga was at No. 4 singles, where Beau Wilson defeated Patrick Cullum 6-1, 6-2.

“I was playing well,” Wilson said. “There’s more intensity here than in the regular season, so I was more fired up.”

Pioneers senior Graham Battle was slightly challenged by Matt Hancock, the Big South 3-A/4-A Conference player of the year, but won 6-3, 6-3.

Watauga’s Steve Lake, a freshman, was down several times during the No. 2 singles match, but defeated Wes Golding 6-3, 6-4.

“If I start losing, I just focus more,” Lake said. “I really try hard, that’s all you can do.”

Watauga also got a 6-3, 6-4 victory from Brian Geldmeier at No. 3 singles and a 6-3, 6-0 win from Preston Stigall over Morgan Stallings at No. 6 singles.

Jeffery Geldmeier put up a fight at No. 5 singles, but lost 4-6, 6-0, 10-6 in a tiebreaker to Chris Saville.

The doubles matches were also very heated. Battle and Lake barely won 9-7, and Goldmeier and Wilson also won by the same score.

“When we’re down, we really concentrate on hitting the ball in the court,” Battle said. “This way we make them beat us instead of beating ourselves.”

“I’m really happy to win this big in a playoff,” Watauga coach Scott Taylor said. “This will give us momentum going into next week.”

Watauga faces a familiar opponent in Northwestern 4-A Conference rival Freedom Tuesday in the second round at the Carroll Complex.

Watauga 8, Gastonia Ashbrook 1
Singles
Graham Battle (W) d. Matt Hancock, 6-3, 6-3
Steve Lake (W) d. Wes Golding, 6-3, 6-4
Brian Geldmeier (W) d. Jack Collier, 6-3, 6-4
Beau Wilson (W) d. Patrick Cullum, 6-1, 6-2
Chris Saville (GA) d. Jeffery Gelmeier, 4-6, 6-0, 10-6
Preston Stigall (W) d. Morgan Stallings, 6-3, 6-0
Doubles
Battle/Lake (W) d. Hancock /Golding, 9-7
B. Geldmeier/Wilson (W) d. Collier/Chris Saville, 9-7
Stigall/Davis Roberts (W) d. Cullam/Roth, 8-4