OCHS Tennis Battles Tough Competition, Cold Weather at Jekyll Jam

For the last three years, Dan Gruetter has taken his band of OCHS Tennis Warriors to Jekyll Island for the two day Jekyll Jam high school tennis tournament. 

While there, the Warriors face excellent high school competition, bond as a team and find their strengths and areas needing work. Besides the tough competition on the courts, the players, coaches and families have also faced another opponent in years past, as they have been forced to stage great battles with Jekyll's famed "no-seeum" bugs, which took a toll on all last year, including Gruetter himself, who was awarded a mosquito net hat at last year's season ending banquet. Fortunately, he did not need it this year, as all were spared the attack of the "no-seeums". However, in exchange for bugs, all battled very cold and windy weekend conditions on Jekyll's clay courts.

The results, tennis-wise for the weekend were good, with the Lady Warriors winning two of three matches, while the boys team lost two close 3-2 decisions, but ended the tourney with a 4-1 win to end the day Saturday. Gruetter made a point to his squad that the whole Jekyll experience only helped them improve and get better as team. Mission accomplished!

For the girls, in Friday's 3-2 loss to Columbus, Jordan England won in split sets at #1 singles 6-3, 6-7, 1-0; Megan Morris and and Ivy Do also won at #2 doubles 2-6; 6-2, 1-0. On Saturday, the Lady Warriors scored a 3-2 decision over Union Grove as Jordan England won easily 6-1, 6-2 at #1; Katy Kane won at #2 6-0, 6-2 and freshman Erin Horsley, playing the 3 spot, won a big match 6-4, 6-4 to help edge the Lady Wolverines. The Lady Warriors also chalked up a second Saturday win with a 4-1 victory over Brantley County. Once again, sophomore #1 Jordan England won convincingly 6-2, 6-2, while #2 Katy Kane finished with  6-0, 6-0 blanking of her opponent, Erin Horsley at #3 won her 2nd match 6-1, 6-7, 1-0 and the #2 doubles combo of Megan Morris and Ivy Do also won 6-3, 6-1.

The boys struggled a bit to find that elusive 3rd point in back to back 3-2 losses to Columbus and Lagrange. Gruetter searched, particularly at doubles, for the magic combination with lineup changes that yielded mixed results, but got the Warriors some great experience under heavy fire.
In the 3-2 loss to Columbus, Will McDonald breezed at #1 with a 6-3, 6-0 win. Drew Horsley, at #2, also won big 6-3, 6-4. In Saturday's loss to Lagrange, Drew Horsley held true at #2 with a strong 6-1, 6-2 win and the #2 dubs combo of Hunter Pritchard and Chandler Shields held on to win 6-2, 6-4. The OCHS men got on the winning side, to end the Jekyll Jam on an up note with a 4-1 win over Screven County. Will McDonald won at #1 with a 6-1, 6-0 score, Drew Horsley made it three for three at #2, making short work of his opponent winning 6-1, 6-0, Hunter Pritchard teamed up with Dan Madden at #1 dubs to get another 6-1, 6-0 win and Zach Miner and Chandler Shields zipped through to a 6-0, 6-0 shutout win.

The Warriors are scheduled to host East Jackson Tuesday and Franklin County Thursday. Both matches begin at 4pm at OCHS.

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