Mount Tabor’s boys tennis team won against Mount Airy 6-3 in the first match of the season for both teams after the Spartans took an early lead in the singles matches.

Bears Head Coach Rodney Pell said, “The Spartans took an early 3-0 lead in singles with decisive victories at number three, four and five seeds.”

In the first match finish of the afternoon, Spartan Will Olsen won over Blake Hensley 6-0,6-0. Next to finish was the third-seeds, Spartan Brett Anthis and Sam Brown. Anthis won 6-2, 6-2.

In the third finish of the afternoon, fifth-seeded Bear Jack Marion was down 0-5 in the first set but then had a late rally before losing the match. Alex Marvin won over Marion 6-3, 6-1.

Mitch Kessler, who stepped up to the first-seed position for the Bears this year, grabbed the only singles win of the afternoon against Patrick Phillips, finishing with set scores of 6-2, 6-1.

At the match’s fifth finish, Robert Blizard was unable to build on a late rally in the first set, and Spartan Daniel Ludoff won 6-3, 6-0.

In the final finish of singles, Spartan Mitch Kirkland won 7-5, 6-4 over Justin Leonard at the second seed.

Pell said, “In doubles, Mount Airy’s number one team led 5-0 and 7-2 before finishing the match at 8-4.”

The doubles scores were Kessler and Hensley over Phillips and Kirkland 8-4; Leonard and Brown over Anthis and Olsen 8-5; and Marvin and Dan Yosipovich over Marion and Blizard 8-0.

The Bears are scheduled to play at Wake Forest on Tuesday to open the first conference game against Bishop McGuinness.

The Mount Airy Bears lost four starters last season, two all-conference and two honorable mention.