Tyler Legacy set for regional quarterfinal match against Wylie

Published 4:18 pm Monday, October 17, 2022

Tyler Legacy is in the team tennis regional quarterfinals for the sixth time in seven years.

The Red Raiders (17-4) will take on Wylie at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Sulphur Springs.

“I think we are ready,” Legacy head tennis coach Charlie Sizemore said. “We play a tough schedule to prepare for these tough matches in the playoffs. All four of our losses are to ranked teams, and we’ve played some 11-8 and 12-7 matches that should help us if we get in a close match.”

Legacy’s losses were to Plano West, Allen, Flower Mound and Kingwood. Since that loss to Kingwood on Aug. 12, the Red Raiders have reeled off 14 straight wins.

Legacy made four consecutive trips to the regional quarterfinals and then advanced to the regional semifinals in 2020 as part of a stretch that included five consecutive district titles. Last year, the Red Raiders fell to Rockwall 10-9 in the district championship and then lost to Waco Midway 10-9 in the area round. Rockwall and Midway both advanced to the regional semifinals.

“We talked about it all year long,” Sizemore said. “We were bummed how last year ended. But we had a lot of kids coming back and knew this could be a really good year.”

Legacy won the District 10-6A championship against Rockwall-Heath and then picked up 10-1 playoff victories over North Garland and Mansfield Lake Ridge.

Wylie took a 10-1 win over Mesquite and then a 10-2 win over Mansfield Legacy.

The winner of the Tuesday’s match will advance to face either The Woodlands or Klein Cain at 1 p.m. Thursday at Mansfield High School.

Team members for Legacy are Audrey Deatherage, Bridget Gaston, Sara Fry, Sophie Miller, Savannah Allen, Emma Faulks, Sapphire Nunn, Kaylie Cunio, Nathan Kiblinger, Daniel Gaston, Dylan Brown, Michael Collins, Preston Rathbun, Gab Oxler, Michael Rowan and Cullen Bunt.