Washington coach Daniel Manzer couldn’t ask for a better end to the regular season as his tennis team blanked Jacksonville 9-0 on Tuesday to give seniors Lee Pinkham, Charon Spencer, Will Allen and Kevin Chaviz a convincing victory in their final home game.
“It’s 100 percent a good day,” Manzer said. “All the boys played hard and whenever you can win out in the end it’s great because you feel like you got a lot of momentum pushing you into the state playoffs.”
Manzer, the Pam Pack’s first-year coach, led his team to a 13-2 (12-2 Coastal Conference) record and was pleased to see the Pack finished the regular season on a high note.
No. 1 seed Connor Wilkins set the tone with a 6-0, 6-0 win, while No. 2 Luke Harris won 6-1, 6-2, No. 3 Lee Pinkham rolled 6-1, 6-1, No. 4 Lee Hodges breezed to a 6-1, 6-2, No. 5 Will Page earned a 6-1, 6-2 victory and No. 6 Sam Grimes pitched a shutout winning 6-0, 6-0.
In doubles play, Wilkins and Harris teamed up for a 6-3 win, Page and Hodges picked up an 8-4 victory and Pinkham and Allen didn’t allow a point winning 8-0.
After the match, Manzer praised the effort turned in by his seniors this season.
“Lee Pinkham has been great. Last season he wasn’t a starter and this year he has the third-best record on the team,” Manzer said. “Cheron and Will have seem some action this year and they have been really good teammates and that’s what means the most. That’s what we really want, guys who come out and support this team.”
The Pam Pack, which drew a No. 2 seed in the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs, will begin the postseason on May 1 when it plays at No. 1 South Brunswick.