LUKE REEDER
Sports Reporter
JONESBORO – Earlier this
week the Nashville Scrapper
Tennis Team took the
state tournament qualifiers to
Jonesboro to compete in the
4A State Tournament. Qualifiers
included all three doubles
teams from Nashville made
up of the two girl teams of
Alexus White and Leslie Lingo
and Brittany Backus and
Olivia Herzog and the only
boy doubles team of Glenn
Hartness and Zack Backus.
For the two girl’s teams
the tournament ended earlier
than expected when both
teams lost their first round
matches. For the team of
Backus and Herzog their first
match was against a team
from Monticello. Backus and
Herzog lost the first set 3-6
but in the second set it was
a close battle with the final
score being in favor of Monticello
7-6. For Lingo and White
the first game was against a
team from Southside. Lingo
and White gave it their all but
lost in two sets 3-6, 2-6.
On the boy’s side the team
of Hartness and Zack Backus
were able to make history.
Though their run in the state
tournament ended quicker
than they would like, they
were able to make it to the
semifinals and finish an impressive
fourth place overall.
This made them the highest
finishing guy doubles team
Nashville has ever had. The
duo started their tournament
with easy victories in the first
and quarterfinals round. In
the semifinals Hartness and
Zack Backus lost in two sets
and were sent to battle it out
for a third place finish. In the
third place match they lost
the first set 3-6 but in the second
set won by a wide margin
6-1. This brought the game
to the final set and the duo
from Nashville were unable to
prevail and ended their tournament
with fourth place and
a reason to brag since it was
Zack Backus’ first year playing
the sport competitively.
Tennis Coach Damon Williams
said the teams had
a great year and he looks
forward to seeing what his
teams can do in the next
season, “I thought we had a
great year. State Tournament wise my doubles boys
Glenn Hartness and Zack
Backus finished fourth overall
and made it to the semifinals
and played extremely
well. The girls kind of got off
to a bad start both teams and
could never get out of the
hole. Overall we had a great
year and I was pleased with
everything that they did and
am now looking forward to
next year.”
