Darby Boys Kick Off the Tennis Season with a Hard-Fought Match Against Gahanna Lincoln

Written by Carrlene Webb

On March 29, the Darby boys kicked off their first match of the tennis season. The match was against the Gahanna Lincoln team; a team who’s first single varsity player was singles State Champion last year. Gahanna Lincoln’s Brandon Carpico is committed to OSU, and is regarded as the best high school player in the state. Evidently, the team would prove to be a challenge to beat, however, that didn’t stop the Darby boys from fighting hard.

“It was very tough, we got swept on the JV and Varsity side,” says William Hykes, first singles JV player, referring to the match. “We did not do very good, but we played as well as we could,” he says. Although the scores for the first match weren’t ideal, Hykes says the Darby team tends to get along well. With encouraging teammates and good morale, a team can stay positive no matter what the numbers say. A fighting spirit and uplifting teammates are just what any player needs to face any challenge on the court.

The next match the Darby boys are headed into is a home game against Hilliard Davidson. William is confident that he and his teammates have what it takes to beat the Wildcats. Since this is a Hilliard vs. Hilliard match, the friendly rivalry, as always, is strong. As a player on the Darby girl’s tennis team, I myself have faced Davidson and Weaver several times. In my experience, the players on both teams are always incredibly respectful. I believe it is one of the most exciting, evenly matched games of the season. It will be interesting to see how the boy’s match against Davidson shakes out.

Though the first match was tough, the Darby boys have plenty of time left in the season to prove themselves. As William Hykes says, “It can only go up from here!”

image credit: Carrlene Webb