Greenlee tennis girls square off in Morenci

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Lily Ford returns the ball with authority. The Duncan junior is 1-2 as the top seed. Morenci hosts Duncan on Tuesday, March 24 while Thatcher hosts Morenci and Safford hosts Pima on Thursday, March 26.

Eagles host Cats, Dawgs host Riders on Thursday

By Raymundo Frasquillo

MORENCI – The Brenda Street-coached Morenci Wildcats (1-3 seeding, 0-0 section) host the Shannon Kempton-coached Duncan Wildkats (3-0, 1-0) for a non-section pairing on Tuesday, March 24.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Aliza Espinoza attacks the net to make a placed return. The Morenci junior is 0-2 in singles as the top seed.

In Graham County, Thatcher (4-1, 1-0) hosts Morenci, and Safford (2-1, 1-0) hosts Pima (1-1, 0-0) on Thursday, March 26.

Thatcher is a combined 25-5, Duncan 14-4, Safford 10-8, Pima 5-7, and Morenci 3-21 in seeding singles matches. The Thatcher doubles teams are 12-3, Duncan 7-2, Safford 6-3, Pima 5-1, and Morenci 3-9.

This Week (March 23-28)

This week (March 23-28) in Section I, Duncan visits Morenci, Safford hosts Section II Tucson Pusch Ridge, and Pima visits Section III Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic on March 24; Benson host Tombstone, Benson hosts Tombstone, and Miami hosts Section IV Coolidge on March 25; Duncan visits Globe, Thatcher hosts Morenci, and Safford hosts Pima on March 26; and Pima visits Tombstone on March 27;

Benson defeated Division II – Section VII Tucson Amphitheater 6-3 on March 23.

Division III Section I Standings

The section standing as of March 23 were Duncan (3-0 seeding, 1-0 section), Thatcher (4-1, 1-0), Safford (2-1, 1-0), Globe (3-3, 1-2), Benson (4-1, 0-1), Pima (1-1, 0-0), Morenci (1-3, 0-0), and Miami (0-4, 0-1).

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Heidi Miller concentrates on watching her return to the runway. The Duncan junior is 3-0 in singles.

Four section pairings resulted in wins by Thatcher over Globe (9-0, Feb. 26), Safford over Globe (7-2, March 4), Globe over Miami (6-3, March 10), and Duncan over Benson (8-1, March 11).

Duncan (3-0) is 14-4 in singles and 7-2 in doubles. Top seed junior Lily Ford is 1-2, No. 2 junior Heidi Miller 3-0, No. 3 senior Emily Evans 3-0, No. 4 junior McKenzie Jones 2-1, No. 5 freshman Bailey Jones 3-0, and No. 6 junior Roxy Donaldson 2-1.

In doubles, Ford – Miller is 2-1, Evans – McKenzie Jones 3-0, and Bailey Jones – Donaldson 2-1.

Thatcher (4-1) is 25-5 in singles and 12-3 in doubles. Top seed senior Sophie Haynie is 2-1, No. 2 junior Sarah Sampson 4-1, No. 3 senior Leah Bryce 5-0, No. 4 senior Katie Bastian 4-1, No. 5 junior Jaiden Wakefield 4-1, No. 6 senior Savanna Kartchner 2-1, junior Ella Goodman 2-0, and sophomore Ruby Ellerman 2-0 in singles.

In doubles, No. 1 Haynie – Sampson is 2-1, No. 2 Bryce – Bastian 2-1, No. 3 Kartchner – sophomore Macady Kartchner 2-1, Sampson – Bryce 2-0, No. 2 Bastian – Wakefield 2-0, and Goodman – Ellerman 2-0.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Izzalana Gobert tosses the ball up as she begins a serve delivery. The Morenci junior is 0-4 as No. 2.

Safford (2-1) is 10-8 in singles and 6-3 in doubles. Top seed junior Iris Green is 2-1, No. 2 sophomore Emma Rodriguez 2-1, No. 3 junior Amanda Neal 1-0, No. 4 senior Phoebe Tarnutzer 1-2, No. 5 senior Hailey Foote 2-1, No. 6 sophomore Maya Biggs 1-1, sophomore Brynlee Cluff 1-1, and sophomore Addie Lines 0-1 in singles.

In doubles, No. 1 Green – Rodriguez is 2-1, No. 2 Tarnutzer – Foote 1-1, No. 3 Biggs – Lines 0-1, Biggs – sophomore Brynlee Cluff 2-0, and Tarnutzer – Neal 1-0.

Globe (3-3) is 21-15 in singles and 8-10 in doubles. Top seed junior Teairsa Ellis is 2-4, No. 2 sophomore Liza Shank 5-1, No. 3 senior Evelyn Parker 4-2, No. 4 sophomore Carlee Van Buskirk 2-2, No. 5 junior Aaliyah Ortiz 3-3, No. 6 senior Milynn Allinson 2-2, junior Azucena Medrano 2-1, and sophomore Taylor Ortega 1-0 in singles.

In doubles, No. 1 Ellis – Parker is 2-4, No. 2 Shank – Van Buskirk 2-1, No. 3 Ortiz – Allison 2-0, Shank – Ortega 1-0, Ortiz – Medrano 1-1, Shank – Allinson 0-1, Shank – Ortiz 0-1, Ortiz – Van Buskirk 0-1, Medrano – Allison 0-1.

Benson (4-1) is 21-9 in singles and 9-6 in doubles. Top seed junior Lucy Cooper is 5-0, No. 2 senior Andrea Hummel 3-2, No. 3 senior Juana Macias 0-3, No. 4 freshman Hazel Chapman 2-0, No. 5 sophomore Melanie Pettinger 4-1, No. 6 sophomore Paisley England 4-1, senior Celina Yockey 3-1, freshman Savannah Moyers 0-1, and in singles.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Merrill Decrow locks on the ball trajectory during a recent match. The Pima senior is 1-1 as the top seed.

In doubles, No. 1 Hummel – Yokey is 1-2, No. 2 England – junior Adalie Lewis 1-0, No. 3 Pettinger – Chapman 1-0, Pettinger – England 3-1, Moyers – freshman Gabrielle Castagno 0-1, Hummel – Macias 1-1, Cooper – Macias 0-1, and Lewis – Chapman 2-0.

Pima (1-1) is 5-7 in singles and 5-1 in doubles. Top seed senior Merrill Decrow is 1-1, No. 2 senior Miley Preston 0-2, No. 3 freshman Audrey Bryce 0-2, No. 4 junior Perry Bingham 1-1, No. 5 junior Paizli Payne 1-1, No. 6 freshman Brielle Allen 1-0, and freshman Tynzli Hatch 1-0.

In doubles, No. 1 Decrow – Allen 1-0, No. 2 Preston – Hatch 0-1, No. 3 Bryce – Bingham 2-0, Decrow – Hatch 1-0, and Preston – Allen 1-0.

Morenci (1-3) is 3-21 in singles and 3-9 in doubles. Top seed junior Ariza Espinoza is 0-2, No. 2 junior Izzalana Gobert 0-4, No. 3 junior Daisy Dia 0-3, No. 4 junior Adriana Dorame Galindo 1-3, No. 5 senior Blanca Macario 1-2, No. 6 junior Kaylee Rorhman 1-3, sophomore Alizza Pearson 0-3, and junior Ximena Estrada 0-1 in singles.

In doubles, No. 1 Espinoza – Gobert is 1-1, No. 2 Dia – Galindo 1-1, No. 3 Macario – Rorhman 1-0, Gobert – Dia 0-1, Galindo – Rorhman 0-1, Pearson – junior Ximena Estrada 0-1, Macario – Galindo 0-1, Rorhman – Pearson 0-2, Gobert – Macario 0-1.

Miami (0-4) is 9-15 in singles and 4-8 in doubles. Top seed senior Adrina Kaulaity 2-2, No. 2 senior Alexis Moody 1-3, No. 3 sophomore Liliana Light 1-3, No. 4 sophomore Evelyn Ramos 1-2, No. 5 junior Emily Sanchez 2-2, No. 6 junior Sienna Egitto 1-2, freshman Valeria Macinas Portillo 0-1, and sophomore Savina Williams 1-0.

In doubles, No. 1 Kaulaity – Moody is 2-2, No. 2 Light –  Ramos 0-3, and No. 3 Sanchez – junior Sienna Egitto 0-2, Sanchez – Portillo 0-1, Sanchez – Williams 1-0, and Wohler – freshman Emilia Crowell 1-0.

Benson – 6, Amphitheater – 3 (March 23)

The host Bobcats prevailed in Saint David with four singles and a doubles head-to-head wins. The No. 5 and No. 6 singles, along with the No. 3 doubles, were forfeits.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Sophie Haynie is focused on a return during a recent match. The Thatcher senior is 2-1 as the top seed.

Top seed junior Lucy Cooper, No. 4 freshman Hazel Chapman, and No. 5 sophomore Melanie Pettinger, and No. 6 sophomore Paisley England posted wins over junior Erika Gaxiola (8-2), junior Reagan Sorenson (8-2), senior Kayla Tuakalau (8-6), and senior Serene Baghumyan (8-2), respectively, in singles.

In doubles, it was No. 2 sophomore Paisley England – junior Adalie Lewis 8-2 over Mudge – Bras.

Singles No. 5 sophomore Paisley England and No. 6 senior Celina Yockey, along with doubles No. 3 Pettinger – Chapman, were awarded forfeits.

For Amphitheater, it was singles No. 2 sophomore Polina Gorgees 8-4 over senior Andrea Hummel and No. 3 sophomore Blanca Garcia 9-7 over senior Juana Macias, along with doubles No. 1 Gaxiola – Tuakalau defeated Hummel – Macias 8-4.

Benson – 8, Saint David – 1 (March 18)

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Sarah Sampson comes to the net to hand the balls to an opponent. The Thatcher junior is 4-1 in singles from the No. 2 slot.

The visiting Bobcats left Saint David with four singles and a doubles head-to-head wins. The No. 5 and No. 6 singles, along with the No. 3 doubles, were forfeits.

Top seed junior Lucy Cooper, No. 2 senior Andrea Hummel, No. 3 freshman Hazel Chapman, and No. 4 sophomore Melanie Pettinger posted wins over junior Addison Merrill (8-0), junior Addison Spencer (8-3), freshman Zoey Mudge (8-2), and sophomore Isabella Bras (8-0), respectively, in singles.

In doubles, it was No. 2 sophomore Paisley England – junior Adalie Lewis 8-2 over Mudge – Bras.

Singles No. 5 sophomore Paisley England and No. 6 senior Celina Yockey, along with doubles No. 3 Pettinger – Chapman, were awarded forfeits.

For Saint David, doubles No. 1 Merrill – Spencer defeated Hummel – Yockey 9-7.

Morenci – 6, Tombstone – 3 (March 17)

The Wildcats won a singles and two doubles in head-to-head play, along with No. 5 and No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles by forfeit.

Singles No. 4 junior Adriana Dorame Galindo defeated junior Ashtyn Valenti 8-4,

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Miley Preston follows the ball across the net after a return. The Pima senior is 0-2 from the No. 2 slot.

In doubles, it was No. 1 juniors Ariza Espinoza – Izzalana Gobert 8-1 over seniors Abigail Satterfield – A.C. Carroll, and No. 2 Galindo – junior Daisy Dia 8-3 over senior Vanessa Hibbits – Valenti.

Forfeits were awarded to singles No. 5 senior Blanca Macario and No. 6 junior Kaylee Rorhman, along with doubles No. 3 Macario – Rorhman. For Tombstone, it was Satterfield 8-6 over Espinoza, Carroll 8-4 over Gobert, and Hibbits 8-6 over Dia in singles.