White County Tennis Sweeps Stone Memorial Matches

The White County High School tennis teams picked up more than just wins on the scoreboard Tuesday night in Crossville. They picked up respect, too.

The Warriors and Warriorettes both left Stone Memorial with team victories, but the night was just as much about how the matches were played as the final scores. On a night when Stone Memorial honored its seniors, White County matched the moment with steady play, composure, and a level of sportsmanship that didn’t go unnoticed.

The Warriors controlled their side of the court in a 5-2 team victory, using depth in singles and dominance in doubles to take command of the match. Ethan Wiles and Ben Brogden each picked up 8-3 wins, while Rhoane Whorton added an 8-2 performance that helped put White County in position early.

The most competitive match of the night came at the top spot, where John Durfee battled through a back-and-forth set before falling in a tiebreaker, 8-9(5).

White County answered that loss in doubles.

Durfee and Wiles paired up for an 8-2 win, while Solomon Hawkins and Brogden followed with an 8-1 victory to seal the team win.

On the girls side, it came down to the wire.The Warriorettes found themselves in a tight match from the start, with singles play split and everything riding on doubles.

Sadie Benningfield delivered an 8-4 win, and Olivia Flaminio fought through one of the most intense matches of the night, pulling out a 9-7 victory. Even in losses, White County stayed competitive. Katelyn Howard and Ainslee Goff both pushed their matches deep before falling 7-9 and 6-8.

That set the stage for doubles.

Lorelei Bouldin and Benningfield handled their court with a 6-3 win, and Flaminio and Howard matched it with another 6-3 result to secure the 4-3 team win.

White County’s depth showed up again in the extra matches as well.

Emmie Benningfield controlled her set with an 8-1 win. Claire Hawkins and Alivia Davis teamed up for a 6-3 victory, while Avi Rose and Victoria Davis gained valuable experience in a tough outing.

The Warriors and Warriorettes won’t have long to celebrate. They’re back on the court today for a district matchup against Sequatchie County at White County High School, with first serve set for 2 p.m.