Tom Kramer was glad to be on edge Thursday afternoon.

With Burlington-Edison’s girl’s tennis team in town, he watched his own Falcon girls have a tough time of it throughout the singles and doubles lineups. After walking over Coupeville Monday and a depleted Burlington team two weeks ago, the South Whidbey girls got into the long, frustrating sets Kramer likes to see them have early in the season.

“We could use about 10 more matches like that,” said the veteran South Whidbey coach.

The gauntlet got thrown down early, as Number 1 Falcon singles player Jenny Saephan lost 3-6, 1-6 to Nicole Petrezdke. It was the returning state champion’s first loss this year.

But senior Kylie Bozym made up for it in the Number 2 game. She played the hottest game of the day for the Falcons, blanking Erica Peterson in two sets, 6-0, 6-0.

“It was kinda fun to watch,” Kramer said.

In the third and fourth singles games, the Falcons came up with solid wins. Jaci Gutzmer hammered Lacey Burke 6-1, 6-4, while Molly Fox dispatched Jessica Hillard in a slightly longer 6-2, 6-4 win.

In doubles, the wake-up call came late for several teams, but not too late. In the Number 1 match, Paige Oliver and Jenny Newman bounced back from a 3-6 loss in the first set to take the next two 6-4, 6-3 for the match win. It was almost the same story for seniors Kelsey Simmons and Gena Felton, who took back-to-back 6-4, 6-2 sets after letting the first slip away 2-6.

However, at third doubles, sophomores Chelsea Miller and Erin Carmichael did not get their shots going soon enough. After floundering 1-6 in the opening set, they went game-for-game in the second before losing a tiebreaker and a 6-7 set.

The longest match of the day belonged to Maya Kocian and Rebecca Connor, who played an exhibition doubles match. Starting their match last, they hammered to a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 win just before dark fell.

Next up for the Falcons is a home meet Wednesday against Friday Harbor.