Bearcats doubles team advances to state tourney

Josh Mills/SEMO News Service Photo Dexter's Tyler Miller is shown in singles action Friday during the Class 1, District 1 tournament held at Sikeston. Miller helped the Bearcats to a third place team finish by reaching the semifinals [Click to enlarge]

SIKESTON -- Several local netters were successful in Friday's Class 1 District 1 Tennis Championship, held at Sikeston High School.

Dexter Bearcats tennis notched a standout day, as the doubles team of Luciano Starling and Dylan Acevedo will make the trip to state. Starling and Acevedo fell just short of the doubles district title, losing to the Farmington twosome of Drew Fuemmeler and Pierre Pujol 6-4, 4-6, and 11-9 in a dramatic tie-break.

Starling was pleased with Acevedo's and his effort.

Josh Mills/SEMO News Service Photo Dexter's Luciano Starling attacks a short ball during doubles action Friday at the Class 1, District 1 tournament held at Sikeston. Starling and doubles partner Dylan Acevedo finished second and earned a spot in the upcoming state tournament. [Click to enlarge]

"We played good after the first set and played really well in the last set," Starling said. "We are excited to be going to state and hope to just keep improving."

In addition, Bearcat freshman Tyler Miller advanced to the semifinals and Dexter took third place team honors, giving them an opportunity to qualify for the state team tournament.

Farmington captured the first place team title, followed by Windsor, Dexter and Crystal City respectively.

Dexter coach Dennis Keith felt very good about his teams' showing.

"Our guys did very well today," Keith said. "This is the first time we have had to play this much tennis. Our guys had to dig deep and fight in their matches today and they did a very good job of doing that."

"Our doubles team came on strong at the end, they never did lay down," Keith continued. "(Tyler) Miller was the same way in his semifinal match. Miller, who is just a freshman, got some great experience today."

Sikeston Bulldog No. 1 Stuart Strom also had a stellar day, advancing all the way to the singles finals.

Strom began his day defeating Festus's Chandler 6-3, 7-5. Next, Strom knocked off Farmington's David Pang 6-2, 6-1. Strom downed Windsor's hard-spinning Matt Aiello 6-1,6-0 in the semifinals to advance to the finals and automatically qualify for the state tournament.

In the finals, Strom met the tournament's overall No.1 seed in Farmington's Eric Fuemmeler. Fuemmeler was 12-0 on the season entering the tournament. Fuemmeler was in the drivers seat most of the third set, winning 6-3. But Strom gave Fuemmeler perhaps his most serious challenge in the second set, but a late charge by the Farmington netter gave him a tie-break, 7-5 victory and the singles district title.

Although he fell short of the title, the junior Strom was pleased with his outing Friday.

"I am really excited to be going to state," Strom said. "That has been my goal all year. I think I played really well today. Things could have gone either way in the finals, but they just didn't bounce my way."

Bulldog tennis coach Russ Dial was proud of his No. 1 player.

"Stuart (Strom) played fantastic today," Dial said. "He has already faced this guy (Eric Fuemmeler) twice this year and got beat by him 8-0 in the first meeting. That was early in the year.

"But Stuart has been getting better in every match and peaked at the right time, now we are going to state."

Dial noted that although Strom was the only Bulldog to advance past the first round, his squad has come a long way this season.

"At the beginning of the year, each player had a goal they established at the start of the year," he said. "Almost all of our guys reached their goals. Stuart's was to go to state, and he achieved that. Those players who couldn't hit the ball, they wanted to be competitive and they achieved that.

"All our guys were so dedicated this season, staying to practice even after formal practice was over. That kind of dedication is a great foundation for us to continue to build on next year."

LOCAL?RESULTS

Sikeston

Singles

2nd round -- Stuart Strom def. Chandler (Festus): 6-3,7-5.

Quarterfinal -- Strom def. Pang (Farm): 6-1,6-0.

Semifinal -- Strom def. Aiello (Wind): 6-2, 6-2.

Final -- E.Fuemmeler (Farm) def. Strom: 6-3, 7-5.

1st -- Landon Hampton def. Hoopaw (Charleston): 6-4, 6-2.

2nd -- Boyer (Festus) def. Hampton: 6-4, 6-1

Doubles

1st -- Neff/Reeder (Festus) def. Jakhil Valentine/ Brian Armstrong: 6-2, 6-3.

1st -- Perry/ McBride (North County) def. Jacob Alsup/ Marco Lopez: 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.

Dexter

Singles

2nd -- Tyler Miller def. Sutton (Potosi): 6-0, 6-1.

Quarterfinal -- Miller def. Boyer (Festus): 6-3, 2-6, 10-4.

Semifinal -- E.Fuemmeler def. Miller: 6-1, 6-0.

3rd place -- Aiello (Windsor) def. Miller: 6-4, 6-4.

1st -- Chandler (Festus) def. Reed (Dex): 6-3, 7-5.

Doubles

2nd -- Acevedo/Starling def. Gray/Patel (Farm): 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Quarterfinal -- Acevedo/Starling def. Ketcherside/Sargent (Desoto): 6-0, 6-3.

Semifinal -- Acevedo/Starling def. Bennett/Dowdy (Wind): 6-2, 6-4.

Final -- D.Fuemmeler/Pujol (Farm) def. Acevedo/Starling: 6-2, 4-6, 11-9.

1st -- Burge/Batchelor def. LaPlant/Hernandez (NC): 6-4, 6-1.

2nd -- D.Fuemmeler/Pujol (Farm) def. Burge/Batchelor: 6-0, 6-3.

Charleston

Singles

1st -- Hampton (Sikeston) def. Hoopaw: 6-4, 6-2.

1st -- Pang (Farm) def. Hess: 6-3, 7-5.

Doubles

1st -- Pullen/Salyer def. Canada/Roubidonx (St.Pius): 6-2, 7-5.

2nd -- Ketcherside/Sargent (Des) def. Pullen/Salyer: 6-0, 6-0.