The Peachtree

City Invitational tennis tournament was held on Friday and got some games

in before the inclement weather set in.

The McIntosh

boys defeated Starr's Mill 5-0 in an eight-game pro set. The singles winners

for McIntosh were B.J. James, Robert Lochridge, James Dwyer and the doubles

winners were Justin Hale and Mike Saheim and Phil Van Fossan and Clayton

Wampler.

The Lady Chiefs

were not as lucky as only two matches were completed before the rain.

The doublesteam ofSunya Sweeney and Stacey Brundrette won their match,

while Denise Daughenbaugh lost her match. McIntosh will open the regular

season at the Peachtree City Tennis Center Monday against Fayette County.

Coach Baker

is looking forward to a successful season for both the boys and girls

teams. The boys have three nationally ranked USTA players and seven tournament

players. Juniors B.J. James and Robert Lochridge and freshman James Dwyer

all have USTA tournament experience. James made the USTA top 100 national

16's players list this year, while Dwyeris currently ranked in the top

50 of the USTA Southern section of the USTA. Lochridge was a finalist

in the challenger division of the Suoer Circuit Designated in Mobile,

Ala. last month.

The team is

very deep and experienced. Seniors Yosuke Nomura, Sundeep Sood, Saheim

and Wampler have over 30 years of combined experience on the courts, while

Hale was a finalist in the GA State Futures in 2000. Van Fossan won the

2000 Adidas Fall Classic in 14 Doubles Championship on the courts at the

Peachtree city tennis center and is very at home there. Omar Faruqui is

a freshman but an experienced one that strengthens the team even further.

The team has

its sights on a region championship with further hopes in state competition.

Baker has received committments from his national players to pass up competitions

on their regular national tournament schedule in order to compete in specific

high school tournaments needed to capture the state title.

The girls team

has their sights set high as well. They have won four consecutive region

titles and would like to continue their winning tradition. it won't be

easy. The girls graduated six players from last year's squad but will

be bolstered by four stellar freshman; Priscilla Roberts, Rebecca Timmis,

Adrianne Hodges and Shelby Carson.

Returning to

the girls team this year are sophomores Renae Clark, and Denise Daughenbaugh,

junior Sunya Sweeney, and senior Stacy Brundrette. The team also welcomes

junior Ream Faruqui. Six of the team's nine members have had older siblings

that have played under Coach Baker.

"We're

young," said Baker. "But we have some talented girls. It is

vital that we come together as a team this year because of our inexperience

in team tennis."

Last week before

the tournament Starr's Mill's boys kicked off the season with a match

against Lovejoy. The team won 4-1. The two winners in singles play were

John Esterline and Chad Newton and the two doubles winners were Parrish

Walton and Brian Spears and Apurva Doshi and Adam Esterline. Phillip King,

Stephen King and Drew Evens played in exhibition matches. Starr's Mill's

traveled to Henry County last night and will host Jonesboro tomorrow.

The panthers play their home matches in the Woodcreek Subdivision.

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