The Philomath High School’s boys tennis team opened the season Tuesday with an 8-0 victory in Salem over Blanchet Catholic and followed up with a 6-2 victory at home Wednesday over Lebanon.
The Warriors swept all eight singles matches in the two duals. Senior Andrew Leonard found little push from his opponents with victories of 6-2, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-0. Senior Sawyer Ainsworth had a slow start in his opener but gained momentum as the match went on in a 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 win and then defeated his Lebanon opponent, 6-0, 6-1. Junior Jackson Rice rolled in his opener 6-1, 6-1 and battled to a win vs. Lebanon, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
At No. 4 singles, coach Gary Quandt went with senior Owen Thomas against Blanchet and he won by a 6-1, 6-3 count. Against Lebanon, senior Osvaldo Garcia-Bazan got the call and he won a close one, 7-5, 6-4.
In the doubles matches, Philomath swept the Blanchet matches and split with Lebanon. In Salem at the No. 1 spot, sophomore Lane Schell and senior Gradin Fairbanks rolled 6-2, 6-3; Garcia-Bazan and sophomore John Pickett won 6-4, 6-2; junior Jackson Holroyd and junior Ethan Aynes were 6-0, 6-0 winners; and sophomore Tiernan Bovbjerg and senior Nicholas Purcell came from behind for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.
Thomas and Pickett teamed up at No. 1 doubles against Lebanon and lost a match that came down to the final points, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6. Fairbanks and Schell dropped down to No. 2 and won 6-3, 6-1. Holroyd and Aynes won easily again, 6-0, 6-1. Purcell and Bovbjerg lost in the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 6-1.
The Warriors (2-0) are scheduled to host Silverton at 4 p.m. Friday.
