Barber’s conference tourney effort earns spot in 2A West Regional

Polk County’s Banks Barber earned a spot Tuesday in the 2A West Regional tennis tournament, reaching the semifinals of the Mountain Foothills 7 Conference tourney in Brevard.

Barber won his first singles match in Tuesday’s tourney, topping Hendersonville’s Caiden Hillard, 10-3. That moved Barber into the semis and secured a spot in the regional set for April 29-30 at Gardner-Webb University.

R-S Central’s Trevor Coldren defeated Barber 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals.

“Banks played really well in getting to the semifinals,” said Polk County head coach Richard Davis. “He played a very gutsy and entertaining match (in the semis).”

Barber earned the only win for Polk players. Thaddeus Ruff lost to Patton’s top player, Om Shah, in a tiebreaker while both of the Wolverines’ doubles teams dropped their lone matches.

SINGLES
Banks Barber (PC) d. Caiden Hillard (Hendersonville) 10-3
Om Shah (Patton) d. Thaddeus Ruff (PC) 9-8 (7-5)
Trevor Coldren (R-S Central) d. Barber, 6-2, 6-2

DOUBLES
Kaleb Adair-Landon Henderson (East Rutherford) d. Jack Smith-Riley Ballentine (PC) 10-8
Nathan Millette-Aiden Wheeler (R-S Central) d. Gabe Alvarado-Charlie Jackson (PC) 8-3