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The Cathedral tennis team finished runner-up in the State Championship tennis tournament last week. The team is, from left, William Wilson, coach Henry Harris, Greg Mocklin, Adam Blackwell, Dwain Perkins, Josh Gamberi, Davis Beard, Nina Ngyen, Ebony Tenner, Julian Stubbs, Taylor Beasley, Cami Willard, Madelinw Beard, David Jensen and Sarah Beth Willard.

Switched positions lead to Green Wave win

Tance Hughes

Published Sunday, May 11, 2008

NATCHEZ — Even though their positions were changed this year, Madelyn Beard, Davis Beard, and Cami Willard led Cathedral High School to a second place finish at the Class 1A state tennis finals in Jackson last Wednesday.

Cathedral narrowly lost to Sacred Heart 4-3.

Last year, Davis Beard played singles while Willard and Madeline Beard played doubles.

Cathedral head coach Henry Harris switched the Beard sisters around for this year and everything panned out like he wanted.

Davis Beard and Willard won the Class 1A State Championship in Girls No.1 Doubles defeating the girls doubles team of East Webster.

“I’m very excited about our win,” Willard said. “It was a tough match and they were very good players.”

Willard and Beard lost the first match 6-1 and were immediately in a hole.

“We were really upset,” Willard said. “We knew we had to come back and do better in the next match.”

Harris was very proud of the girls.

“They were a little nervous, but they came out and did what they were taught to do and it all worked out,” Harris said. “They kept the ball in the court against one of the best teams in the state.”

Willard and Beard would come back and win the next two matches 6-1 and 10-5 to take home the state championship.

Beard’s sister, Madeline Beard, won hardware of her own.

Madeline Beard won the Class 1A No.1 Girls Singles Individual Championship against Kristen DeAngelo of St. Joe High School with match scores of 6-0 and 6-1.

Cathedral finished the season with a 4-4 record.