Mustangs take court to open 2014 season

INDEPENDENCE — Iola High’s tennis team is getting a rude introduction to Kansas spring weather already.
On Tuesday, the Mustang players were greeted with 45-degree temperatures as they traveled to Independence for their season-opening matches.
Despite the cool conditions, each Iola competitor picked up at least one win on the day.
Freshman Isaiah Fawson, in his first ever competition, went 2-2 in No. 2 singles play, as did Iola’s No. 2 doubles team of Colby Works and Bryan Mueller.
Fawson defeated Vandaro Chit of Fort Scott and Logan Bennett of Chanute. He fell to Adrian McAfee of Pittsburg and Collin Cushing of Independence.
Works and Mueller teamed to defeat Fort Scott’s Alex Combs and D.J. Blethen and Chanute’s Ethan Bush and Danny Benavides. They fell to Pittsburg’s Micah Hashman and Nick Powers.
Sophomore Tyler Heinrich, playing in No. 1 singles action, went 1-3, as did the Mustangs’ No. 2 doubles team of Levi Baker and Rhett Allen.
Heinrich topped Raifen Cruse of Fort Scott before, while falling to Lake Lund of Chanute, Logan Behnam of Pittsburg and Zach Stacy of Independence. Baker and Allen took an 8-0 win over Jacob Bailey and Kyle Primeaux of Fort Scott. They dropped matches to Zane Wyrick and Drake Gilmore of Chanute, Hank Cloninger and Josh Dial of Pittsburg and Will Schabel and Dan Grice of Independence.
As a team, the Mustangs took fourth.
“The guys played pretty well, especially considering the weather,” head coach Joe Turner said. “Our younger guys weren’t nervous in their first matches.”
The Mustangs are scheduled to host Coffeyville, Parsons and Independence this afternoon in Iola’s only home matches of the season, weather permitting.
Even if rains hold off — forecasts are for scattered showers through the afternoon and evening — the weather will still be a factor with gusty south winds expected.