MOULTRIE – Both Colquitt County tennis teams were eliminated in the first round of the Class 6A state tournament on Monday.
The Colquitt County boys, which went into the tournament as the No. 3 team from Region 1, fell 0-3 to Etowah in a match played at the Towne Lake Hills Golf Club in Woodstock.
The Eagles, the Region 5 runner-up, are ranked No. 17 in the state.
The Packers, ranked No. 19 heading into the postseason, finish 8-6.
Ty Hurst and Banks Flowers are the only two seniors on the boys team.
The Colquitt County girls finished as the Region 1 runner-up and earned the right to play host to Marietta on Monday at Packer Park.
But the Lady Blue Devils won at both No. 1 and No. 2 singles and at No. 2 doubles to advance to the second round.
Julia Costin fell at No. 1 singles 1-6, 2-6, and Emily Lampman lost by the same scores at No. 2 singles.
Jaelyn Wier and Laura Gonzales fell 1-6, 3-6 at No. 2 doubles.
Playing No. 3 singles, freshman Allie Rowley was down 5-7, 1-2, when Marietta clinched the match.
The No. 1 doubles team of Jayley Johnson and Ada Craft trailed 2-6, 2-5 when they were pulled from the court when Marietta got their third point.
The Lady Packers finish with a 7-7 record.
“They just out-played us,” Lady Packers coach Amber Day said. “But we’ve come far this season.”
She said that despite the loss, the match was special because it marked the end of the careers of three longtime Lady Packers.
“Ada, Emily and Jayley have been with me for all four years,” Day said. “They have been key members of this team and they will be greatly missed and their spots will be hard to fill.”
That the Lady Packers were able to host a first-round match was a highlight of the season, Day said.
Colquitt went into the region tournament as the No. 3 seed, but a 3-2 win over Lowndes earned the Lady Packers a first-round state tournament home match.
Colquitt won all three singles matches to defeat the Vikettes.
The Lady Packers had lost to Lowndes 1-4 earlier in the season.
“We felt like we were the better team all season and we got to show it,” Day said.
“I think the girls are upset that today was the last match, but satisfied with the outcome of the season.”