"We're No .1" signal Hixson players and coach Raul Fernandez after state quarterfinals win Friday to secure a return trip to Spring Fling next week
photo by Mary Phillips
With ice water in his veins and a birthday cake waiting to be cut, junior Landon Goforth won singles and doubles matches to lead Hixson to a 4-3 triumph against Signal Mountain and earn a return trip to the state tennis tournament next week in Murfreesboro.
With the Eagles from Signal Mountain leading 3-1 in singles, Goforth, in a win-or-go-home situation, rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) win at No.4 singles and then teamed with Carl Phillips for an 8-6 match deciding victory at No.2 doubles.
“Nothing seems to phase Landon,” said Hixson coach Raul Fernandez with a laugh.
“He just goes out and plays hard and doesn’t seem to let the pressure get to him.”
The Eagles, who beat Hixson 7-2 earlier in the season, took the 3-1 lead on wins by No.2 Grant Williams, No.3 Luke Blentlinger and No. 5 Carson Williams, while Hixson picked up a point after Alex Condra won at No.1.
“When I lost the first set in singles I just focused on winning one point at a time and did not worry that I was down a set,” said Goforth who turned 17 today and who has experience on how to handle pressure as he was a state runner-up in wrestling in February.
Moving to doubles, Hixson (13-3) tied the match at 3-3 as Alex Condra and Richard Vuong defeated Jason Morris and Luke Blentlinger, 8-3, setting the stage for the Goforth-Phillips heroics.
Sweet Win: “I believe going to state is sweeter this year as we lost our Nos. 4-5-6 players from a year ago and Landon wasn’t even in our top six,” stated coach Fernandez whose top five this year are all juniors.
One Legged Victory: Carl Phillips hobbled through his singles loss at No. 3 due to a MCL pull Monday in the region doubles tournament, before tonight’s doubles win.
He suffered the knee injury in warm ups Monday and he and Gofroth proceeded to win the region semis in two sets and the finals and a berth in next week’s state doubles competition in three sets.
So with Friday night’s 8-game pro-set win gives him six sets on a bad knee.
“Our goal is to get to the net when we can and when we are both there we can’t lose,” Phillips said.
So as one Wildcat has ice water in his veins and another needing all the ice he can find to put on an injured knee between now and Tuesday, Hixson will be ready for its state semis match vs. Trinity Christian at 2 p.m. at Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro.
Hixson 4, Signal Mtn 3
Alex Condra (Hix) def. Jason Morris, 6-2, 6-1
Grant Williams (SM) def. Richard Vuong, 6-2, 7-5
Luke Blentlinger (SM) def. Carl Phillips, 6-1 6-1
Landon Goforth (Hix) def. Thomas Thelen, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Carson Williams (SM) def. Angel Salinas, 6-4, 7-5
Doubles
Condra-Vuong (Hixson) def. Morris-Blentlinger, 8-3
Phillis-Goforth (Hixson) def. Grant Willaims-Thelen, 8-6
Record: Hixson (13-3)
Contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net