By Staff
Scot Beard
RED BAY -The Red Bay boys tennis team opens its season today at Russellville as it tries to get back to the state tournament for the 18th time since 1990.
The Tigers are returning five seniors – Toby Gray, Kirk Armstrong, Chris Funderburk, John Thigpen and Roman Lynch – from last year's squad, which finished fifth at the state tournament.
"We won five out of six singles at the sectional last year and two out of three doubles," said Red Bay coach Sonny Glasgow. "We have five seniors and hopefully we will get the leadership to win out fourth straight sectional."
Gray and Armstrong lost in the state semifinals last year while Thigpen and Funderburk fell in the quarterfinals.
Sophomore Justin Roberts is the other member of the team.
Glasgow feels optimistic about his team's chances if the players can avoid injury.
"Maybe this will be the year one of them breaks through to the finals," Glasgow said.
Glasgow is also expecting big things from the girls squad, which has not qualified for state since 2003.
"We always get a late start with the success of the girls basketball team," Glasgow said. "If they obligate themselves to working hard and look to the sectional tourney, we should greatly improve from last season."
Members of the girls team include seniors Morgan Duncan, Britan Bolding, Nealea McKinney, Barbara Bostick and Deidre Shewbart juniors Caitlin Childers and Shelby Childers and sophomores Morgan McKinney and Shantell Nichols.