Republic edged rival Ozark 5-4 in a boys tennis match that came down to the final singles match Tuesday.
Republic won two of three doubles matches to start the night. Gavin Collyott and Andrew McCord won 8-6 at number two doubles, while Cooper Davis and Austin Hardcastle prevailed 8-4 at number three. Cooper Choate and Garrett Carpenter fell 4-8 at number one.
Carpenter, Republic’s number two player, missed singles play due to illness. That forced everyone else to move up a slot.
Collyott lost 1-8 at number one and Davis fell 7-9 at number two. Choate rallied from behind to win 9-7 at number three singles.
“He stayed close using his big serve until he finally got a couple chances to break serve and he took full advantage of them,” Republic coach David Smashey said.
Hardcastle lost 7-9 at number four singles, but McCord kept Republic alive with an 8-5 win at number five.
That set the stage for senior Micah Crosby in the final match at number six singles. Crosby, playing in his first critical varsity match, clinched the victory 9-7.
“Micah was amazing — he stayed loose and the moment was never too big for him,” Smashey said. “What a way to end a high school career.”
Ozark entered the night with a record of 13-6. Smashey called the victory one of Republic’s best wins in recent years.
“I’m really proud of how our guys stuck together,” he said. “I think that may have been the difference in a nearly dead even match.”
Republic finishes the regular season with a record of 7-5 heading into the individual district tournament Wednesday in Springfield.
