BURLINGTON — With a single loss and third place in the 2-A Mideast Regional secured, East Bladen’s Jackson Bostic and Will Hester will play in the state tournament this weekend.
The senior duo lost 6-0, 6-1 to sophomore Jonas Miyagawa-junior Connor Nicol of Carrboro in the regional semifinals on Tuesday morning. In the afternoon, they defeated Whiteville’s Zander Burton-Bryce Kronenwetter 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 for the second time in less than a week, winning again in a rematch of the Three Rivers Conference championship.
Bostic-Hester are 10-1 for the season.
State tournament play begins Friday morning at 9 at the Cary Tennis Park, with the Eagles’ tandem taking on senior Chris Hartzell-senior Sam Kruse of Thomasville Ledford. The Panthers pair is 11-1, having gone 4-0 in the regular season playing the top spot for their team, won four more to take the Central Carolina Conference Tournament championship, and finished runner-up in the 2-A Midwest Regional.
The winner gets either Blake Sharpe-Bradley Rising of Brevard or Greene Central’s Luke Edmondson-James Miller. Sharpe-Rising was regional champion. Tucker Williams-Jeremy Dawson of Greene Central is the other regional champion (East) in the East Bladen unit’s half of the draw.
All entries making the semifinals of singles and doubles at the regional level earned state tournament spots. The pairings for the state space out regional champs, runner-ups, third places and fourth places equally in the four quadrants.
Bostic-Hester earned a state berth by moving through the regional’s first day with a bye in the first round, and a quarterfinal triumph over Roanoke Rapids senior Paulo Pampilo-senior Alexander Thompson 6-2, 6-2.