Anderson tandem flirts with state berth

Luke Warford and Lowell Gordon were so close to advancing to this week’s state tennis tournament.

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Lowell Gordon makes a return in a match earlier this year.

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Luke Warford works the net.

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But the cruel reality of an elimination tournament is just that – elimination.

The Anderson County juniors advanced to the fourth round of last week’s Region 8 tennis tournament at Franklin County High School before falling to Matthew Stewart and Thomas Schaller of Oldham County 6-1, 6-3. Stewart and Schaller advanced to this week’s state tournament. The top four entries advance to the state.

“If Luke and Lowell had won their last match against Oldham, they would have qualified for the state,” said Anderson tennis coach Jeremy Cook.

Seeded sixth in the tournament, Warford and Gordon earned a first-round bye, then routed teams from North Oldham and Bullitt East by identical 6-3, 6-0 scores.

Warford and Gordon are expected to be one of the region’s top doubles tandems next season.

In other doubles action, Anderson’s Ty Glover and Joseph Koonce drew a bye in the first round before rolling past Mark Saunders and Nick Browne of Bullitt East in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.

Glover and Koonce had the misfortune of running into eventual regional champions, Bryan Steitz and Kyle Scott of Franklin County in the third round.  Steitz and Scott scored a 6-0, 6-2 win in the third round. They eventually won the championship in convincing manner.
Anderson’s singles’ entries had misforunte of running into some of the region’s best early. Levi Cox won a match then hit third-seeded Steven Mayborg of South Oldham. Mayborg went on to a 6-3, 6-2 win while fourth-seeded Tyler Kilambi of North Oldham defeated Ben McDonald 6-1, 6-2 in the second round.

Girls’ regional tennis
The Anderson County girls’ tennis team had tough luck at the regional as all entries. except the doubles team of Hannah and Amanda Wampler, went down to defeat in the first round.
The Wamplers advanced to the second round before falling to a team from Bullitt East in three sets.

Anderson’s top singles player, Chelsea Lane, was forced to forfeit her first match because of sickness.