MOULTRIE – Tatum Shivers is starting his first season after replacing Mell Wier as the Colquitt County tennis coach, but he was already familiar with a number of the players.
Shivers, who has the Packers off to a 2-0 start, coached several of the juniors and senior players during his five-year tenure leading the middle school boys program.
“It has been incredibly rewarding seeing them grow not only as players, but as young men,” he said.
With Wednesday’s Region 1-6A opener against Richmond Hill at Packer Park nearing, Shivers has his team unbeaten after its first two matches.
The Packers swept Thomas County Central 5-0 in their season-opener on February 5, in Thomasville.
The three starting singles players are all juniors.
In his third season as a varsity player, Joshua Scroggins is playing No. 1 singles and he started with a 6-1, 6-2 win over his Yellow Jacket opponent.
He came up short against Berrien on Monday at Packer Park, falling 1-6, 3-6.
Jack Taunton got the win at No. 2 singles against Central 6-1, 6-0, and against Berrien 6-0, 6-0.
This is Taunton’s third year as a starter for the Packers.
Playing No. 3 singles is Parker Anderson, who also has started since he was a freshman.
Anderson won 6-1, 6-1 against Central and 6-2, 6-2 against Berrien.
Senior Ty Hurst and junior Bailee Fountain split the first two sets against Central 6-2, 5-7, at No. 1 doubles.
But they came back to win on the 10-point tie-break 11-9.
Hurst and Fountain were dominant against Berrien, winning 6-0, 6-1.
“Things are starting to click for these two,” Shivers said. “They are moving and communicating well as a pair and managing to cover the court well.”
Senior Banks Flowers and freshman Harrison Lampman, playing No. 2 doubles, won against Central 6-0, 6-0, and against Berrien 6-0, 6-1.
“Banks just started playing tennis less than a year ago but has demonstrated a lot of hard work and dedication and has natural talent,” Shiver said.
“As a freshman, this is Harrison’s first year on the high school team. He played and started all three yeas in middle school and is sure to have a promising high school career.”
In junior varsity matches against Central, Lendon Wiggins won 8-0 in singles, and Landon Hembree and Hudson Paige won at doubles 8-4.
Sophomore Ivan Dong, senior Anh Doan, sophomore Aarav Patel, junior Carson Connell and freshman Micah Griffin also played junior varsity matches.
Against Berrien, Hembree played the lone junior varsity singles match and won 8-2.
After playing Richmond Hill on Wednesday, the Colquitt County tennis teams will travel south to play Thomasville High.