Strong singles effort lifts Polk County past East Rutherford

By afternoon’s end Wednesday, Polk County’s boys tennis team seemed a better candidate for the doctor’s office than the tennis courts.

One player nursed a cold. Another had a sore shoulder. Another injured an ankle. And after four matches in three days, all were tired.

But tired in a good way after the Wolverines delivered a 6-3 victory over East Rutherford in a Mountain Foothills 7 Conference match at Polk.

The Wolverines (9-3, 5-2) claimed five of the day’s six singles matches to secure the victory before the start of doubles play. Among the winners was Banks Barber, who dominated a tiebreaker, 10-1, to take a win over C.J. Hollifield in No. 1 singles.

Polk County is set to travel Monday to Brevard for a conference match as the regular season enters its final stretch. The two teams, who have yet to meet, are battling for second place in the conference behind R-S Central.

SINGLES
1. Banks Barber (PC) d. C.J. Hollifield 7-5, 4-6, 10-1 (tiebreaker); 2. Kaleb Adair (ER) d. Jack Smith 6-2, 6-2; 3. Thaddeus Ruff (PC) d. Landon Henderson 6-2, 7-5; 4. Eric Avellaneda (PC) d. Parker Emery 6-2. 6-1; 5. Gabe Alvarado (PC) d. Reagon Sprouse 6-3, 6-2; 6. Riley Ballentine (PC) d. Matthew Lindsey 6-2, 6-1.

DOUBLES
1. Adair-Henderson (ER) d. Ruff-Barber 8-1; 2. Hollifield-Emery (ER0 d. Avellaneda-Charlie Jackson 8-4; 3. Alvarado-Ballentine (PC) d. Sprouse-Vaughn 8-3.