Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Rachel Peterson keeps her eyes on the ball for a return. The No. 2 Safford junior is one of four Bulldogs with 6-0 singles records, and along with junior Hazel Green, also 6-0 in doubles. Safford hosts Thatcher on Monday, March 20 for a 2:30 p.m. start.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
SAFFORD – The Safford tennis girls host Thatcher for a non-section pairing on Monday, March 20. The section counter is slated for April 18 in Thatcher.
Also this week (March 20-25), Benson visits Pima on Monday, March 20; Pima visits Saint David, Thatcher visits Willcox, and Tombstone visits Safford on Tuesday, March 21; Duncan visits Pima on Wednesday, March 22; Duncan visits Morenci, Rio Rico visits Benson, Thatcher visits Tucson Tanque Verde, and Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian visits Safford on Thursday, March 23; Duncan visits Patagonia on Friday, March 24.
Last week (March 13-18), Willcox defeated Morenci 9-0 (March 16). The Benson at Tombstone (March 14) and Morenci at Miami (March 15) pairings were not played.
The Division III – Section I teams have all played at least three matches thus far. Safford is 6-0 overall, 3-0 seeding, and 0-0 in the section; Thatcher (2-1, 2-1, 0-0), Willcox (2-1, 2-1, 0-0), Duncan (4-2, 2-1, 0-0), Morenci (5-4, 1-2, 0-0), Pima (1-3, 1-3, 1-0), and Benson (0-3, 0-3, 0-0).
Thatcher Eagles (2-1)
Thatcher is 2-1 in seeding matches with wins of 9-0 over Miami (March 7) and 8-1 over Gilbert Classical (March 9). The loss is 3-6 to Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (March 8).
The Eagles have won 72 percent (13-18) of singles and 78 percent (7-9) of doubles pairings.
Senior Maren Hatch is 2-1 overall, senior Lindsay McMaster (3-0), junior Maddie Scarborough (1-2), freshman Sophia Haynie (2-1), sophomore Kayla Turley (2-1), and junior Zoey Damron (3-0).
The Hatch – McMaster duo is 2-1, Scarborough – Damron 2-1, and Turley – sophomore Audrey Smith 3-0.
Safford Bulldogs (6-0)
Safford defeated Florence 8-1 (Feb. 23), Willcox 5-4 (Feb. 28), and Morenci 7-2 (March 7) in seeding matches and Morenci 7-2, and both Miami and Florence 9-0 during tourney matches played on March 10.
The Bulldogs have won 89 percent (32-36) of singles and 78 percent (14-18) of doubles pairings, with forfeits in two singles and two doubles.
Senior Kali Gluyas is 3-3 overall and 1-2 in seeding matches, junior Rachel Peterson (6-0, 3-0), junior Hazel Green (6-0, 3-0), senior Savanna Clonts (6-0, 3-0), junior Brynlie Alder (5-1, 2-1), and junior Camille Alder (6-0, 3-0).
The Gluyas – Clonts duo is 3-3 and 1-2, Peterson – Green (6-0, 3-0), and Alder – Alder (5-1, 2-1).
Five other section pairings are in Duncan (March 28), with Benson (March 30), in Pima (April 6), in Morenci (April 11), and with Willcox (April 13).
Willcox – 9, Morenci – 0
The Bulldogs won five singles and two doubles while the Wildcats won one of each.
Junior Rachel Peterson, junior Hazel Green, senior Savanna Clonts, junior Brynlie Alder, junior Camille Alder defeated junior Anita Gonzalez 6-2, junior Katelynn Clark 6-1, senior Isabella Villa 6-0, freshman Izzalona Gobert 6-0, and freshman Alannah Suarez 6-0, respectively.
In doubles, Peterson – Green and Alder – Alder defeated Clark – Villa and Gobert – Suarez, respectively, by identical 6-0 scores.
For Morenci, senior Cambri McCauley defeated senior Kali Gluyas 7-4 in the tie-breaker following a 6-6 tie, and the McCauley – Gonzalez duo defeated Gluyas – Clonts 6-2.
Safford Invitational
The Bulldogs totaled 25 points, with five winning three singles and four winning three doubles pairings, to earn the 2023 Safford Invitational title. Morenci was second with 16 points, Miami third (10), and Florence fourth (3).
Earning singles medals by winning three pairings were Morenci No. 1 senior Cambri McCauley, Safford No. 2 junior Rachel Peterson, Safford No. 3 junior Hazel Green, Safford No. 4 senior Savanna Clonts, Safford No. 5 junior Brynlie Alder, and Safford No. 6 junior Camille Alder.
Medalists in doubles were Morenci No. 1 McCauley – junior Anita Gonzalez, Safford No. 2 Peterson – Green, and Safford No. 3 Alder – Alder.
Round One:
Safford – 7, Morenci – 2
The Bulldogs won five singles and two doubles while the Wildcats won one of each.
Junior Rachel Peterson, junior Hazel Green, senior Savanna Clonts, junior Brynlie Alder, junior Camille Alder defeated junior Anita Gonzalez 6-2, junior Katelynn Clark 6-1, senior Isabella Villa 6-0, freshman Izzalona Gobert 6-0, and freshman Alannah Suarez 6-0, respectively.
In doubles, Peterson – Green and Alder – Alder defeated Clark – Villa and Gobert – Suarez, respectively, by identical 6-0 scores.
For Morenci, senior Cambri McCauley defeated senior Kali Gluyas 7-4 in the tie-breaker following a 6-6 tie, and the McCauley – Gonzalez duo defeated Gluyas – Clonts 6-2.
Miami – 7, Florence – 2
The Vandals won five head-to-head pairings, three singles, and two doubles plus received two forfeits while the Gophers won two singles.
Junior Vanessa Stemm defeated sophomore Belem Vasquez 6-3, junior Jillian Lee defeated sophomore Kaylin Bolan 6-3, and freshman Adrina Kaulaity defeated freshman Giovanna Gray 6-3. Freshman Daisy Pacheco received a forfeit.
In doubles, junior Adrianna Lopez – Stemm defeated senior Grace Moak – Vasquez 6-2, and senior Emily Byington – Kaulaity defeated junior Lillie Rodriguez – Bolan 6-1. The Lee – Pacheco duo received a forfeit.
For Florence, Moak defeated Lopez 6-1 and Rodriguez defeated Byington 6-3.
Safford sophomore Charlotte Graham, filling in for the No. 6 Florence slot, lost both an exhibition singles and paired with Gray, and exhibition doubles, by identical 0-6 scores.
Round Two:
Safford – 9, Miami – 0
The Bulldogs Blanked the Vandals, taking all six singles and three doubles.
Gluyas, Peterson, Green, Clonts, Brynlie Alder, and Camille Alder defeated Lopez 6-2, Stemm 6-0, Byington 6-0, Lee 6-2, Kaulaity 6-2, and Pacheco 6-2, respectively.
In doubles, Gluyas – Clonts, Peterson – Green, and Alder – Alder defeated Stemm – Lopez 6-0, Boyington – Kaulaity 6-0, and Lee – Pacheco 6-2, respectively.
Morenci – 8, Florence – 1
The Wildcats won six head-to-head pairings, four singles, and two doubles plus received two forfeits while the Gophers prevailed in a lone singles.
McCauley, Gonzalez, Clark, and Villa defeated Moak 6-0, Vasquez 6-0, Rodriguez 6-0, and Bolan 6-4, respectively. Suarez received a forfeit.
In doubles, McCauley – Gonzalez defeated Moak – Vasquez 6-0, and Clark – Villa defeated Rodriguez – Bolan 6-4. Gobert – Suarez received a forfeit.
For Florence, Grey defeated Gobert 6-2.
Graham won both an exhibition singles and paired with Grey, and exhibition doubles, by identical 6-0 scores.
Round Three:
Safford – 9, Florence – 0
The Bulldogs win all seven head-to-head pairings, five singles, and two doubles plus received two forfeits/.
Gluyas, Peterson, Green, Clonts, and Brynlie Alder defeated Moak 6-2, Vasquez 6-0, Rodriguez 6-0, Bolan 6-1, and Gray 6-0, respectively. Camille Alder received a forfeit.
Gluyas Clonts defeated Moak – Vasquez 6-0 and Peterson – Green defeated Rodriguez – Bolan 6-1. Alder – Alder received a forfeit.
Graham lost both an exhibition singles and paired with Grey, and exhibition doubles, identically by losing tie-breakers 7-5 after a 6-6 deadlock.
Morenci – 6, Miami – 3
The Wildcats won four singles matches and two doubles from the Vandals.
McCauley, Gonzalez, Clark, and Villa defeated Lopez (6-0), Stemm (6-2), Byington (6-1), and Lee (6-2), respectively.
In doubles, McCauley – Gonzalez defeated Stemm – Lopez 6-4, and Clark – Villa defeated Boyington – Kaulaity 7-5.
For Miami, Kaulaity defeated Gobert 6-1, Pacheco defeated Suarez 6-0, and the Lee – Pacheco duo defeated Gobert – Suarez 6-0.
The Bobcats were shut out by the Section II Lions in Tucson.
