Mexico liked what it saw from its lineup on Wednesday.

Mexico at NCMC Tournament Photo Gallery

The Bulldogs hosted the tennis North Central Missouri Conference tournament, with singles being played at Fairground Park and junior varsity doubles taking place at Missouri Military Academy across town. Brendan McKeown, Declan Gleeson and Boston Davolt earned all-conference nods, with McKeown and Gleeson repeating as all-NCMC players in what was a third-place team performance.

“This was the kind of overall team performance that we wanted today,” head coach Tony Senor said. “Everyone played well and made some great points and decisions on when to attack.”

Mexico’s No. 1 McKeown finished first in his bracket after defeating a Moberly opponent 10-6 in the semifinals, avenging an earlier loss to them in the season, and taking the victory against Kirksville’s No. 1 player due to an injury forfeit — McKeown was winning 7-3 at that point.

The No. 2 Gleeson finished fourth after having admittedly “not his best day,” Senor said, but gritted through to earn back-to-back all-conference honors. 

The No. 3 Davolt finished third after going 2-1 during the day, securing his first all-NCMC nod.

Senor said Mexico No. 6 Quaid Grubb had an impressive day as he finished second after playing with a lot of confidence.

No. 4 Camden Williams finished third, and No. 5 Zeven Ruiz was fourth to round out singles for Mexico while Brixton Goerne and Jackson Lamb earned the team’s highest JV doubles finish at third. The pairs of Trevor Wright and Carter Blackburn and David Schweim and Brennon Beasley each finished fourth.

“This confidence will boost our team and it will help our momentum going into district play,” Senor said. 

Mexico is scheduled to play individual districts on Friday at North Point in Wentzville but could play Monday if weather doesn’t permit. Team districts will be at North Point on Tuesday, when the No. 2 seed Bulldogs face No. 3 Lutheran St. Charles (2-8), who Mexico defeated 5-4 earlier this season.

MMA wins Hannibal tournament, defeats Mexico

Missouri Military Academy had finalists up and down its lineup on Tuesday.

After each Colonel earned either first or second place in the round-robin style Hannibal Invitational Tournament, MMA won the team prize with 22 points. 

Head coach Brad Smith said Tuesday’s tournament was one where each player had matches against players from Hannibal, Troy Buchanan and Quincy Notre Dame (Ill.) depending on rank, securing a placing that earned the team a certain number of points — first was four points, second with three points, third was two points and fourth was one point.

MMA’s Nos. 2-5 players of Patrico Bravo Knobloch, Samuel Way, Francisco De La Maza and Nathan Dempsey each finished undefeated to secure first-place finishes. Team No. 1 Gorka Yarte took second after losing to a Quincy Notre Dame opponent, and No. 6 Ernesto De La Maza also was second after losing to a Hannibal player.

On the previous day, MMA defeated crosstown Mexico 7-2 in the Colonels’ final regular season match. In gusty conditions at Fairground Park, MMA won five singles matches except for one via tiebreaker and took two of three doubles contests.

Bravo Knobloch defeated Mexico’s Declan Gleeson 8-3, Samuel Way defeated Boston Davolt 8-1, Francisco De La Maza defeated Camden Williams 8-0, Nathan Dempsey defeated Zeven Ruiz 8-1 and Ernesto De La Maza defeated Quaid Grubb after a 9-8 tiebreaker. No. 1 Groka Yarte fell short against Brendan McKeown after a 9-8 tiebreaker.

In doubles, Bravo Knobloch and Way won 8-4, and Dempsey and Ernesto De La Maza won 8-2 while Yarte and Francisco De La Maza lost 8-4 to Mexico No. 1 pairing McKeown and Gleeson.

The Colonels have the No. 1 seed in team districts and will face the winner of No. 4 seed Ft. Zumwalt South (6-7) and No. 5 Ft. Zumwalt East (3-14) onTuesday at Ft. Zumwalt East in Saint Peters.