GHS netters open season amid scheduling issues

GHS netters open season amid scheduling issues

The GHS tennis program is in a state of transition in 2020 with the promotion of new head coach Dexter Pearcy, though former volunteer head coach Ken Hamilton is still with the team as assistant coach. The two men essentially switched jobs. Hamilton is currently in his 26th year with GHS tennis and Pearcy was his assistant in 2019.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs opened their seasons before the start of school on August 24th, but have been plagued by scheduling issues due to weather and ongoing Covid-19 concerns. The original schedule include six matches through the end of August, but the teams have only played four, mostly due to rain.

But even before the season started, Greenwood was struggling to reschedule matches with teams in the western half of the 5A West conference, including Harrison, Greenbrier, and Vilonia. Typically, those matches are played in Russellville at Arkansas Tech University to cut down on travel for the teams involved. But ATU will not host those matches this year due to concerns over the pandemic.

“We’re trying to reschedule [those matches] somewhere else, probably on a different date,” said Pearcy. “We’re trying to find dates to coordinate with Russellville, Alma, Greenbrier, and Vilonia.

The GHS girls and boys opened their season against Rogers-Heritage, followed by a match with Siloam Springs, both before the opening of school. A week later they played Russellville and Siloam Springs in a quad match at Russellville High School that also included Greenbrier.

“We had to cancel Harrison,” lamented Coach Pearcy of the match originally slated for  August 24th at ATU. The match with the Goblins and Lady Goblins will not be rescheduled, he added. Home matches last week with Van Buren and Fort Smith Northside were also postponed due to weather and will be made up later, if possible.

Despite the postponements and cancellations, the GHS netters continue working on their skills. “As long as our court is dry, we practice them,” said Pearcy. “Sometimes that means using only a couple of the courts [that are dry].”

Rogers-Heritage

The season’s opening match was played at the Greenwood community courts the second week of August. The Lady Bulldogs captured one of four matches, while the GHS boys split four contests.

In girls’ singles, Greenwood freshman Isabella King lost her match, 0-8, while sophomore Chaise Hanna fell, 5-8. In doubles play, the duo of senior Sarah Beshears and junior Rebecca Harris lost, 6-8, while junior Kennedy Holland and freshman Lydia Belue won their match, 8-6.

In boys’ play, the Bulldogs got a win from Zack Beshears in singles action, 8-4, while fellow senior Jonathan Mitchell also won, 8-6. In doubles play, sophomore Brendon Hoskyn and freshman J.J. Acosta fell, 2-8, while senior Micah Belue and sophomore Grayson Vaughn lost by an identical score, 2-8.

Siloam Springs

The season’s second match was a conference contest against the Panthers and Lady Panthers of Siloam Springs. The GHS girls split their four matches, while the Greenwood boys won all four of theirs in a clean sweep.

For the Lady Bulldogs, Isabella King won her singles match, 8-5, with Chaise Hanna winning, 8-4. Beshears and Harris were shutout in their doubles contest, 0-8, while Kennedy Holland teamed with sophomore Makenzie Cannon in a 1-8 loss.

The Greenwood boys won both singles matches on the play of Zack Beshears (8-4) and Jonathan Mitchell (8-0). The team of Hoskyn and Acosta won 8-3, while Belue and Vaughn won, 8-6.

Russellville

On August 25th Coach Pearcy took their GHS netters to Russellville High School for a quad match also involving Greenbrier and Mountain Home. Greenwood played both the Cyclones and the Bombers.

In girls’ singles play, Isabella King lost her match, 2-8, as did teammate Chase Hanna, 1-8. In girls’ doubles action, Sarah Beshears and Rebecca Harris won their match, 8-6. Sophomore partners Makenzie Cannon and Laykn Forrester lost their match, 1-8.

 In boys’ singles play against the Cyclones, Greenwood’s Zack Beshears won 8-4 and Jonathan Mitchell narrowly lost his match, 6-8. Brendon Hoskyn and J.J. Acosta lost 4-8, while Micah Belue and Grayson Vaughn lost their match, 3-8.

Mountain Home

Also at Russellville on the 25th the GHS girls and boys played new conference member Mountain Home, winning three of eight matches. The Lady Bulldogs won a singles match and the GHS boys won both of their solo matches.

Isabella King lost her match, 0-8, but Chaise Hanna won 8-6.  Doubles partners Sarah Beshears and Rebecca Harris were defeated, 2-8, while Makenzie Cannon and Laykn Forrester lost 8-9 (5-7) in a tie breaker.

For the Bulldogs, Zack Beshears and Jonathan Mitchell were both winners. Beshears won 8-2 and Mitchell 8-3 in singles action. Brendon Hoskyn and J.J. Acosta lost their doubles match, 3-8, while the team of Belue and Vaughn lost 2-8.

Asked about his impressions so far in this abbreviated season, Coach Pearcy was both candid and positive in critiquing his players. “We came into the season with tempered expectations,” he said, a reference to so many new players on the roster, especially on the girls’ side. The GHS boys are more experienced this season.

“But they compete really well,” he said of his young netters. “Our boys singles are pretty talented. The two boys singles  [players] have matured quite a bit, both personally and in their skill [level]. They are doing well,” said Pearcy.

Tennis Schedule

Tennis Roster


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