First Flight edges North Lenoir in marathon 3.5-hour tennis playoff battle

First Flight edges North Lenoir in marathon 3.5-hour tennis playoff battle

North Lenoir’s postseason run came to an end Tuesday afternoon in one of the most tightly contested matches of the season, as First Flight escaped Bill Fay Park with a 5-4 victory in a dual team matchup that stretched more than three and a half hours and was ultimately decided by tiebreaks.

The Hawks entered the matchup after earning the No. 1 seed in regionals and advancing through a challenging bracket, but First Flight answered with depth in singles play to narrowly secure the win.

At No. 1 singles, Casey Alston faced one of the state’s top players in former 3A state semifinalist Anthony Vucinovic and fell 6-0, 6-0. Despite the loss, Alston later teamed with Maddox Smith for a crucial doubles victory that helped keep North Lenoir alive deep into the match.

Maddox Smith delivered one of the biggest wins of the afternoon at No. 2 singles, battling through a three-set thriller to win 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (10-8). The team result also hinged heavily on North Lenoir securing victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions.

In doubles play, Alston and Smith earned an 8-5 victory, while Caleb Espino and Timothy Wiggins added a key 9-7 win for the Hawks.

The deciding point came in another tightly contested doubles matchup as First Flight narrowly held on to secure the overall team victory.

North Lenoir coach Michael Alston noted before the match that the regional field would be difficult despite the Hawks earning the top seed.

The loss closes the season for a North Lenoir squad that battled through one of the toughest postseason stretches in program history and pushed a strong First Flight team to the limit on its home courts.