Hope High School

HOPE – The 2020-2021 Hope High School tennis season hit its mid-point Sept. 10 with mixed showings to date in the year COVID-19 has changed high school athletics in Arkansas.

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HHS tennis coach Gerald Bennett’s roster is weighted towards girls play this year with five freshmen, five sophomores, two juniors and five seniors on the Ladycat team and two Bobcat netters on the boys’ side.\r\n

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The Ladycats have had a mixed season, winning singles and doubles matches at DeQueen, but splitting with singles wins and doubles losses at Arkadelphia. The girls lost both singles and doubles play at Nashville on Aug. 18, but split with one singles and three doubles wins against Nashville on Sept. 3.\r\n

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The Bobcat boys are winless to date.\r\n

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The HHS Ladycat team includes freshmen Amber Cisneros, Edith Dominguez, Yoshigei Gonzales, Jessica Mendoza, and Priscilla Moreno; sophomores, Camri Cox, Jaelyn Lara, Aiyana Martin, Aunesti Pearson, and Zakiah Randal; juniors, Nakenya Ellison and Hale Ward; and, seniors Ammy Garcia, Jaci Johnson, Michelle Mayo-Cortez, Marisol Reyes, and Autumn Ward.\r\n

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Senior Justin Armstrong and sophomore Darius Jones represent the Bobcats.\r\n

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Regular season play continues Sept. 17 versus Malvern at Malvern; Sept. 24 at home against Malvern; and, Sept. 29 versus Fountain Lake at Fountain Lake. All remaining regular season matches are at 4 p.m.\r\n

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The district tennis tournament is set for Oct. 5-6, and the state tournament is scheduled for Oct. 12-13. Sites for both tournaments will be announced.\r\n

The Hope High School Bobcat and Ladycat tennis teams are past the mid-point in the 2020 season with mixed results to date. But, Coach Gerald Bennett is building experience in his teams, particularly among the Ladycat netters. Team members include, from front and left to right, Ammy Garcia first row; Marisol Reyes and Jaci Johnson, second row; Edith Dominguez, Michelle Mayo-Cortez and Yoshigel Gonzales, third row; Priscilla Moreno, Amber Cisneros, Halee Ward, and Jessica Mendoza, fourth row; Masie McLaughlin, Aiyana Martin, Zakiah Randle, Camri Cox, and Jaelyn Lara, fifth row; and, Darius Jones, Autumn Ward, Coach Bennett, Aunesti Pearson, and Justin Armstrong, sixth row. – Ken McLemore/Hope Public Schools\r\n