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Hernando Today

Lucky 7!

MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: March 17, 2009

SPRING HILL - On a day when the "luck of the Irish" looms on many minds, St. Patrick's Day, Challenger K-8 made prominent use of a traditionally lucky number: seven.

As in 7-0, the record of both the Navigator boys and girls teams, as well the final score with which they've become so familiar.

The most dominant program in the county the past several years, Challenger is enjoying an impressive season even by its high standards. The boys have yet to drop a single set, while the girls have only lost two, both to Powell.

On Tuesday the Navigators put together another pair of shutouts on their home courts, blanking West Hernando on both sides, 7-0.

"I thought everybody played really good. We were on top of our game today," Challenger Head Coach Brett Teitelman said. "Overall both teams are doing great. I attribute that to some hard work at practice."

Nearly flawless

Not only did the Challenger boys take every set, they nearly took every game. All five singles players and two doubles teams won by a score of 6-0.

Seventh-graders Garrett Napolitano and Chris Rosser won at No. 1 and No. 5 singles respectively, while eighth-graders Rich Wilkes and Carl Zee took the victories at No. 2 and No. 3.

Wilkes and Napolitano teamed up to take No. 1 doubles, and Zee and Adam Schuster did the same at No. 3.

Buster Burnette and James Brimson were the only ones to successfully take a game for West Hernando (2-5), falling 6-1 at No. 2 doubles to Rosser and Jeron Impresso.

"I'm just really happy to be on this team," Wilkes said. "We just work really hard. Coach Teitelman helps us a lot. He drills us pretty hard."

The girls didn't win quite as impressively, but still defeated the Golden Eagles (3-4) by comfortable margins.

Seventh-grader Rosie Witherell won 6-2 at No. 1 singles and eighth-grader Laura Paulauage did the same at No. 2 by a score of 6-3. They also combined for a 6-1 triumph at No. 1 doubles.

"I thought I played pretty good," Witherell said. "Even if we win or lose, we try our hardest."

Sabrina Impresso, a sixth-grader, took the No. 3 singles match, 6-1, and teamed with Erin Moynihan to win No. 2 doubles, 6-2. Eighth-grader Nicovi Singh won at No. 4 singles (6-2) and No. 3 doubles with Bryn Buckner (6-0).

Already more than halfway through the season, the Navigators are just fine-tuning as they storm toward another county championship.

"We really need to improve on starting off a little bit better in some of our singles matches," Teitelman said. "We're getting off to somewhat of a slow start and we have a knack for getting caught up.

"We definitely need to improve our first serve percentage and our overall unforced errors."

Boys
Challenger 7, West Hernando 0
Singles
1. Garrett Napolitano (CHA) over Patrick Deslaurier, 6-0.
2. Rich Wilkes (CHA) over Chandler Ballantine, 6-0.
3. Carl Zee (CHA) over Buster Burnette, 6-0.
4. Chris Rosser (CHA) over James Brimson, 6-0.
Doubles
1. Wilkes/Napolitano (CHA) over Deslaurier/Ballantine, 6-0.
2. Rosser/Jeron Impresso (CHA) over Burnette/Brimson, 6-1.
3. Zee/Adam Schuster (CHA) over Sebastian Burt/Eric Aguiar, 6-0.
Records: West Hernando (2-5), Challenger (7-0).

Girls
Challenger 7, West Hernando 0
Singles
1. Rosie Witherell (CHA) over Jordan Stenholm, 6-2.
2. Laura Paulauage (CHA) over Susan Burmann, 6-3.
3. Sabrina Impresso (CHA) over Danielle Daly, 6-1.
4. Nicovi Singh (CHA) over Harley Lufcy, 6-2.
Doubles
1. Witherell/Paulauage (CHA) over Stenholm/Burmann, 6-1.
2. Erin Moynihan/Impresso (CHA) over Daly/Brianna Wiley, 6-2.
3. Bryn Buckner/Singh (CHA) over Jacquelyn Mohr/Amber McDow, 6-0.
Records: West Hernando (3-4), Challenger (7-0).

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at 352-544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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