Sunday, April 28, 1996

Cooper boys, girls doubles teams win regional title

By TED DUNNAM
Sports Editor

LUBBOCK - When Kathryn Scott found herself down love-40 on her serve in the third set, there was no need to push the panic button.

After all, she and partner Heather Gibson had won the first set over El Paso Franklin's Kaysie Smashey and Mandy Carvalho, 6-0, in the Region I-5A girls doubles championship match.

That first set romp provided no logical explanation why Scott and Gibson then lost the second set, 6-0. Thus, it stood to reason that the Cooper doubles team could quite easily come back from a 0-40 deficit.

And when the Lady Cougars pulled off that unlikely feat, they went up 4-2 in the third set and went on to claim a 6-0, 0-6, 6-3 victory.

If that was a somewhat stunning scenario, it was no more unlikely than what Cougar Matt Parkhill pulled off.

After losing in the boys singles final in three sets to Charlie Roberson of San Angelo Central, Parkhill shook off that setback to top Amarillo High's Paul Wooldridge, 6-3, 6-4 in a playback match that determined a state berth.

The unseeded Parkhill, in advancing to state, played each of the top four seeds and beat numbers two, three and four.

While Parkhill, Scott and Gibson went about winning in unique fashion, the Cougar boys doubles team of Ryan Hughes and Chuck Haddox made their life simple by downing the El Paso Franklin boys doubles team of Gilberto Martinez and Eduardo Moreno, 7-6, 6-3, in that championship match.

The girls doubles match featured each team at the top of their game at one time or another.
"That's the weirdest score of any tennis match I've ever played," Scott said. "That match was a blast.
That's the most fun I've had playing doubles.

"We couldn't miss a shot in the first set and they couldn't miss in the second set. I think the difference in the third set was my experience and Heather's experience in big matches."

Then Scott battled back to hold her serve in the sixth game of the third set, it didn't have a back-breaking effect on the Franklin team. But it undoubtedly was a turning point.

Scott and Gibson went on to break Smashey's serve to go up 5-2, but Gibson was broken as the gap narrowed to 5-3. However, Scott didn't have to serve out the match as the Cooper team broke right back, watching as Carvalho double faulted on match point.

When Scott held serve in the sixth game of the final set, it signaled to Franklin that Cooper wasn't going to falter against the top seeds.

"That was a huge game," Scott said. "I told myself that I was not going to lose my serve. When we won that game, it really fired me up."

It also lit a fire under Gibson.

'That was a major turning point," Gibson said. "And then we broke Smashey to go up 5-2. They broke me right after that, but I still felt we had the momentum. When we held on Kathryn's serve, I think that took a lot of momentum away from them.

'That whole match was incredible. Everything was a winner or a forced error. There were just very few unforced errors. We killed them the first set and then they killed us in the second set.

"But Kathryn and I have played so many big matches. I think that really gave us the edge in the third set."

Hughes and Haddox, who have only been partnering since this spring, looked like seasoned veterans in their win.

"We really played great tennis again," Haddox said. "We were on top of our game. We knew what it was going to take today and we went out and did it.
"From match one, we knew we could win this tournament. It was just a matter of playing solid doubles."

They found themselves down early in the first set, but eventually forced a tiebreaker. At 3-3 in the breaker, Hughes and Haddox won the next three points and went on to win the set.
That first-set win set the tone for the second set.

"After we won those three straight points, I thought we had the edge," Haddox said.
Hughes felt the team sent a message to Franklin even before the tiebreaker.

"When we broke them for the first time in the first set, we knew we could break them any time," the Cougar senior said. "That helped us in the tiebreaker. Then we jumped on them early in the second set and that made it a little easier for us."

Hughes is now going to state for the second consecutive year. Last year, he won the 5A singles title. This time he'll try to add a doubles crown to his collection.

"It feels really good to be going to state in doubles," Hughes said. "After we played so well in the semis at the L.D. Bell tournament, we knew we'd have a shot at going to state.
"Chuck's just been playing great lately. We never really had a loose set this entire tournament. We stayed focused throughout."

Parkhill was not only focused, but he was also on his best behavior Saturday after absorbing point penalty and a game penalty Friday.

"If I wasn't in shape before this tournament - and I wasn't - then I am now," Parkhill said after beating Wooldrige. "After I lost to Charlie, I went back to the hotel and ate a bunch of bananas."
Parkhill had never beaten Wooldridge in "five or six" previous meetings. On this day, Parkhill was in control throughout.

'My teammates got behind me," he said. "That's why I play so much better in school tennis than USTA. Jim (Cole, assistant coach) helped me a bunch today and kept me under control.
'I went out there with the attitude of putting a lot of pressure on Paul at all times. This is a great accomplishment. Playing Brandon Hawk on Thursday helped.

"I knew I could get to state, I just didn't know if I would."

Cooper head coach Leanne Scott couldn't help but smile after what transpired Saturday.
"All of our kids competed - they came ready to play," Scott said. "They've done it time and time again. If the opportunity presents itself, our kids take advantage of it.

"Matt was just unbelievable, but I knew he could do it. When he took a set off Charlie, I think that gave him a lot of confidence.

"Kathryn and Heather had great mental attitudes the whole match. Even when they lost the second set 6-0, their heads were still in the match. Franklin's girls just played great tennis.

"Ryan and Chuck just got better with each match. Their semifinal was almost flawless. They put in first serves and made returns. That's how you win doubles matches."

GIRLS SINGLES
Championship - Sara Walker, El Paso Franklin, def. Brenna Shackleford, El Paso Hanks, 6-0, 6-1.
Third place - Melissa Hodges, Odessa Permian, def. Meiling Parks, Abilene High, 6-7, 6-1, 6-3.
Playback - Shackleford def. Hodges, 6-1, 6-3.
GIRLS DOUBLES
Championship - Kathryn Scott-Heather Gibson, Cooper, def. Kaysie Smashey-Mandy Carvalho, El Paso Franklin, 6-0, 0-6, 6-3.
Third place - Leach Ticer-Ashley Johnson, Amarillo Tascosa, def. Jenny Miller-Stephanie Maines, Lubbock Monterey, 6-2, 6-2.
BOYS SINGLES
Championship - Charlie Roberson, San Angelo Central, def. Matt Parkhill, Cooper, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Third place - Paul Wooldridge, Amarillo High, def. Justin Work, L.D. Bell, 6-4, 6-3.
Playback - Parkhill def. Wooldridge, 6-3, 6-4.
BOYS DOUBLES
Championship - Ryan Hughes-Chuck Haddox, Cooper, def. Gilberto Martinez-Eduardo Moreno, El Paso Franklin, 7-6, 6-3.
hird place - Geoff Folkers-Michael Mills, Wichita Falls Rider, def. Roland Beerens-Bryan Chagoly, Wichita Falls Rider, 6-4, 6-2.