Falcons split 2 close matches / Tennis

The South Whidbey High School tennis team split a pair of 3-2 matches over the weekend.

The Falcons stopped shorthanded Bush at home Friday, Sept. 13, and then fell at Overlake Saturday.

South Whidbey (2-1) hosts Seattle Academy (1-1) at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16, and then travels to Eastside Prep (1-0) for a 4 p.m. match Tuesday, Sept. 17. The latter contest will end a string of five matches in seven days.

South Whidbey 3, Bush 2

The Blazers, short on players, forfeited second singles and third doubles.

The Falcons collected a win in first doubles, where brothers Levi and Ranger Buck won 6-2, 6-1.

Levi Buck, South Whidbey’s No. 1 singles player last season, will bounce between singles and doubles this year, according to coach Karyle Kramer.

The brothers have “complementary styles and should be fun to watch,” Kramer said.

Max Rodriguez lost in first singles 6-2, 6-0; and Ian Maddox and Ben Roughsedge fell in second doubles 6-3, 6-3.

Overlake 3, South Whidbey 2

Maddox, making his singles debut the year, recorded a 6-4, 6-3 win in first singles.

“He played tough,” Kramer said. “He was patient and kept the ball in play. That was his strategy and it worked.”

Austin Buck and Emmett Layman grabbed a 6-7, 6-2, 10-4 comeback win in third doubles.

“After losing the first set, we made some key strategy changes and they ended up winning the second set and the third set tiebreaker,” Kramer said. “I was impressed by how well they executed the change in strategy — not always easy to do during an actual match — but they did it and were successful.”

Roughsedge lost in second singles 6-2, 6-2, but played a solid match and got stronger the second set,” according to Kramer.

Levi and Ranger Buck were nipped 6-4, 6-4 in first doubles.

“We were playing no-add scoring; about half the games went to deuce,” Kramer said. “I’m thinking we can get them next time.”

Jordan Wu and Nick Black played a “very experienced” team in second doubles, losing 6-0, 6-1.

“This was Nick’s first varsity match and he’s a first-year tennis player,” Kramer said. “I moved him up because he’s been practicing well and is progressing quickly.”

Sebastian Kennelly and Kaiden Wilson played exhibition matches (pro sets) and split, 3-8 and 8-0.