| Joe Harber lines up to serve the ball during a home match up last month. Harber competed last week in the number one singles event at the Region 8 tournament. Carbon finished the tourney in second place and will now move on to compete at the state finals this Friday in Salt Lake City. |
The Carbon High tennis team has been cruising through the season making adjustments and improving their skills along the way. The hard work paid off this past week as the Dinos competed in the Region 8 season final tournament.
Carbon entered the match up a little nervous, but once they kicked off the exciting action, nerves were calmed and it was all business for the talented Dinos.
Entering the tournament, Lehi was ranked first in the region and was followed by North Sanpete, Carbon and finally Delta.
By the end of the region event, Carbon found themselves in second place with a score of 10 and trailed behind Lehi who captured the region title with a score of 13. North Sanpete followed the Dinos in third place with a final of six points and Delta rounded out the final tally with one point.
The event kicked off with Carbon’s number one doubles team, Neal Maynes and Sean Watkins facing Delta’s number one doubles duo.
According to Dino head coach, Kurt King, the event was a head to head match up between the two teams.
“It was really exciting to watch the doubles competition at region. North Sanpete was seated number four and faced number one seed, Lehi. It was an intense match up as the champion team fell to the lower ranked team. This allowed us to face North Sanpete who we knew we could beat. That’s just what happened as Maynes and Watkins defeated the North Sanpete team 7-5,7-5,” explained the Dino coach.
The number one doubles team captured the win after being tied at five on two separate occasions. King explained that the action was intense and attracted spectators who witnessed an afternoon of exciting tennis action.
The only loss of the day for the Dinos came at the number two doubles pairing as Ryne Vogel and Chris Powell were defeated by North Sanpete in the first round.
At singles, the Dino team swept the competition as Joe Harber competed at number one singles, Bo Christensen at number two singles and Kellen Spillman at number three singles.
The Dinos will now move on to compete in Salt Lake City this Friday as they compete in the state finals.
King feels that the first round should be simple for the Dinos, but thinks that the second round may become a road block.
“At this point, we are not sure who our opponent will be. I do think however, that we will do well in the first round, but the second round I’m sure will find last year’s state champion teams battling it out for a second go round at the title,” King explained.
Reflecting back, King was quick to compliment his team on their successful region showing last week.
“Everyone stepped up and played their best. This made me happy and the team’s efforts surely paid off. As long as they go out there and give it their best, there is nothing more that a coach could ask for,” concluded the Dino coach.
The team will continue to put their best effort forward Friday as they compete in the state finals.