Hough High School Girls Varsity Tennis
Oct. 1. The Hough girls tennis team is off to a hot start this fall, highlighted by stellar team performances, strong senior leadership and the solid play of a state title contender.
Hough’s record is 6-1 with its only loss so far this season came against rival Myers Park, a perennial contender for the state title.
The Huskies are led by a group of seniors: Devin Gilroy, Savannah Davis and Alara Cankutaran in the top three positions, with Morgan Pensler at No. 6.
“Anytime you can lean on senior leadership is a great thing,” head coach Laura Taylor said. “It’s nice to have seniors in those roles because they have more match experience.”
Sophomores Lillian Bracksieck and Chloe Ketner round out the top six at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
Gilroy, ranked the No. 6 singles player in the state and a contender for the state singles title, returned to Hough this season after training in Spain during her junior year. Her only loss came against Myers Park rival and friend Teagan Riley. The two are set for a rematch today at Hough after the match was rained out Sept. 29.
Hough has posted wins this season against South Mecklenburg, Berry and East Lincoln. Taylor said she was impressed with the team’s resilience in the narrow victory over South Meck, when a deep bench stepped up due to player absences.
Hough, one of the top programs in greater Charlotte, last won the state championship in 2021 and was state runner-up in 2019. The Huskies won an individual doubles title in 2019 but have not won a singles title in recent memory, something Gilroy hopes to change this season.
A year ago, the team finished 14-5 overall and won the conference championship with a 6-0 record. That title marked the sixth consecutive conference championship during Taylor’s tenure as head coach.
Realignment this school year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association placed Hough and Myers Park in the same conference, creating a tougher path to the postseason. Changes to the postseason format may also limit the number of individuals and teams advancing to the state rounds.
“We always want to go deep into the state playoffs, and that’s the expectation every year,” Taylor said. “Things are different now, and it’s going to be tough in this new conference.”
Hough plays its final regular-season match Oct. 2 with a doubleheader against Hopewell before learning its postseason seeding.
“We want to go several rounds in the state playoffs each year but recognize the strength of our new conference,” Taylor said. “We will always show up to compete and look forward to showcasing that in the postseason.”
Fall Sports Roundup
Cross Country
The boys team placed second at the Pfeiffer Invitational and fourth at the Hare and Hounds Invitational. At Hare and Hounds, the first through fifth runners averaged 16:49, the fastest in school history. Jack Bennett, Aiday Malloy and Grant Collum have the second-, fourth- and fifth-fastest times in school history, respectively.
The girls team won the Pfeiffer Invitational and is improving every race. Freshmen Aleksa Camodeca and Resse Sazama are leading the way. Juniors Rachel Griffith, Jenna Beyrle, Juliana Mills-Zacapa and Sophia Hoogsteen have been strong contributors.
Boys Soccer
The Huskies are 11-3-2 overall and 4-1-1 in conference play. Senior Dylan Cox leads all scorers with 22 goals, followed by senior Piercon Selland with 9. Selland, who is also the kicker on the Hough football team, leads in assists with 17.
Senior goalkeeper Nolan Bosche has four clean sheets and is allowing 1.6 goals per match.
Football
The No. 1-ranked Huskies are undefeated in non-conference play with wins against South Pointe, Mooresville and Highland Springs. Quarterback Ethan Royal, wide receivers Tyran Evans and Jahmere Anderson, and running back Jamarion Morrison lead a potent Hough offense.
On defense, Micah Bright and Samari Matthews set the tone in the backfield. Safety Jackson Heath leads the team with 8.4 tackles per game, followed closely by Ryan Peterson and Jason Wilkerson.
The offensive and defensive lines have also been dominant to start the season.
