RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore’s Peyton Dincher competes against Sarah Buck during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

JERSEY SHORE– In a highly anticipated matchup between two of the area’s top teams, Jersey Shore expected no less than top tier competition from Hughesville. The Bulldogs (16-0) hosted Hughesville (15-1) in a head-to-head District 4 matchup between two unbeaten teams. The Bulldogs and Spartans gave everything they had and some more, but the Bulldogs’ late-match heroics gave it the edge to come out on top, 4-1 over Hughesville to win its 16th consecutive match.

Josie Gerst and Addison Koch picked up wins for Jersey Shore in the singles department while Ava Lanks and Kendall Bubb took No. 2 doubles. Hughesville’s Sarah Buck, who dropped the first set of her matchup with the skilled Peyton Dincher, won two consecutive sets to win in a three-setter to pick up the Spartans’ lone win in the match.

Shore’s Jaymison Stellfox and Julia Herman, who haven’t lost a match yet this season, snuck out a three-set victory in doubles No. 1 as daylight was fading. In a tie-breaker, sudden-death set to 10 points, Jersey Shore’s unbeaten doubles team in Herman and Stellfox locked in to win the third set, helping both its win streak and Shore’s big team victory in what finished in over three hours of duration.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment. This was a fantastic match, they’re (Hughesville) an incredible team. It was great competition all the way down from the No. 1 singles to No. 2 doubles and it’s the first time that we’ve held a winning streak this long, it feels incredible,” Jersey Shore coach Ann-Marie Dincher said after the win.

After Buck defeated Dincher in singles No. 1, the Spartans were on the brink of being defeated with the pressure on the doubles teams after Gerst (No. 2 singles) and Koch (singles No. 3) picked up two wins for Jersey Shore. Hughesville’s No. 1 doubles, Rebecca Roberts and Maya Snyder, came out the gate with a lot of energy. The duo took the first three games of the first set and eventually led, 3-2 before picking up a solid, 6-4 victory in the first set.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore’s Josie Gerst competes against Hughesville’s Annaka Bruder during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

In doubles No. 2, Hughesville’s Gracie Budman and Talia Saka also got off to a quick start. Budman and Saka took a 5-2 lead in the first set, appearing to be well on their way to a set one victory to roll into the second set until Lanks and Bubb made a last-minute effort to win that set, 7-5.

The two didn’t back down for Jersey Shore, continuing to chip away at point-after-point to win the first set. The two then totally dominated the second set with a 6-2 win after momentum shifted their way.

“I thought the No. 1 spot was excellent tennis. No. 3 battled back. But if you ask me (what the best match was) it was the doubles No. 2 team,” coach Dincher said with a smile on her face. “They were down 2-5, 0-40 to win 7-5 (in the first set) and then take that second set.

“They’re a great team and they’re coming off a loss to Central Columbia.

“When we were down 2-5, our thing was to dig deep, point-by-point and take deep breaths, keep the ball in play and go for the open shots,” coach Dincher said when asked what she told her No. 2 doubles team when trailing with the match on the line.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore’s Peyton Dincher competes against Sarah Buck during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

Lanks and Bubb’s victory solidified Jersey Shore’s victory, giving it a third match point on the afternoon. After the win was in the bag, Jersey Shore cheered on Stellfox and Herman to keep their streak alive.

The two trailed 3-0 in the early going of the first set and eventually cut that lead to 3-2. Stellfox and Herman consistently found themselves down one game but didn’t panic after a set one loss. The two regrouped, eventually taking a 3-2 lead in the second set, pushing that to 5-2 and winning the second set, 6-2.

That set up the third-set darkness to 10 points where, after Stellfox and Herman led by four points, Hughesville’s Budman and Saka made a comeback to cut the deficit to three points. That’s as close as the Spartan duo got, though, as Stellfox and Herman shut the door on a terrific, three-set match.

“Jaymison and Julia have been unstoppable all season. They are 16-0, they haven’t dropped a single match all season and it’s fantastic for them to finish in three sets with a victory,” coach Dincher said.

Gerst finished her singles match the quickest. Although the singles matches alone went the duration of almost two hours, Gerst found little ways to continue chipping away at points against a talented Annaka Bruder.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville’s Sarah Buck competes against Jersey Shore’s Peyton Dincher during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

She was the lone singles match to not go three sets, but the early stages of her match went back-and-forth. After taking a 2-1 lead in the first set, Gerst took a 4-3 lead and continued exchanging points until it got to 5-4 where she surrendered the lead.

Gerst got it back with her sixth point of the first set with some great shots on the corners of the court, eventually taking the set, 7-5.

With Gerst taking a three-game lead in set two, Bruder picked up three of the next four games to stay competitive with Gerst. Gerst again traded games with Bruder after Bruder grabbed some momentum in the set, appearing as if she would force a third set.

Gerst shut any of that potential down as she picked up three of the next four games to pick up a win in straight sets.

“Josie has dominated this entire season and I couldn’t be any more proud. She came up from the No. 2 doubles spot to No. 2 singles spot,” coach Dincher explained. “It’s not an easy jump and she’s done fantastic for our team.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville’s Sarah Buck competes against Jersey Shore’s Peyton Dincher during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

Dincher and Buck battled it out for another great match. Dincher, who took a 4-3 lead in set one, took the first set, 6-4 after coming out on fire. Dincher got in her bag early and often with her patented fast-paced, deep corner shots that Buck couldn’t reach.

Buck responded, though. She took a 4-1 lead after reevaluating with Hughesville coach Craig Weaver and adjusted her volley and rally game at and away from the net. Once Buck found her groove, it was hard for her to miss her spots. She connected with fast and pretty serves and some close returns that neared the line but just stayed inbounds enough to grab points.

Buck won 6-1, 6-1 over Dincher.

Koch, on the other hand, dominated a three-setter, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The beginning wasn’t the best for Koch. It was a moment for her to find her groove and pace for how Hughesville’s Georgia Randolph was playing her. In set two, Koch picked up the pace, grabbing a quick, 5-2 lead in set No. 2 with some nice shots and rallies at the net and from the serving line.

She won big time, 6-3, to force a third set. In the final set, Koch put together great, heads-up plays to defeat Randolph. She trailed one game in the final set but then grabbed a 2-1 lead. Although Randolph came back and grabbed a one-game lead, Koch didn’t panic and instead countered by going up 5-2 by playing each ball carefully and hitting her key spots to close it out.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore’s Peyton Dincher competes against Sarah Buck during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

Jersey Shore defeated its biggest rival that has come to fruition over the past few seasons. Both Hughesville and Jersey Shore presented its talents well on Thursday, but there could only be one winner.

And as the Bulldogs reflect on this win and prepare for the postseason, it has one more game left against Shikellamy to complete a magical season. Win or not in the final regular season game, this Jersey Shore team won’t be forgotten.

“This team is no doubt the greatest privilege team I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching,” coach Dincher said.

Jersey Shore 3, Hughesville 2

SINGLES

1. Sarah Buck (H) def. Peyton Dincher 4-6, 6-1, 6-1; 2. Josie Gerst (JS) def. Annaka Bruder 7-5, 6-4; 3. Addison Koch (JS) def. Georgia Randolph 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

DOUBLES

1. Julia Herman and Jaymison Stellfox (JS) def. Rebecca Roberts and Maya Snyder 4-6, 6-3, 10-5; 2. Ava Lanks and Kendall Bubb (JS) def. Gracie Budman and Talia Saka 7-5, 6-2.

Records: Jersey Shore 16-0

Next match: Jersey Shore vs. Shikellamy Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore’s Peyton Dincher competes against Sarah Buck during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hughesville’s Georgia Randall competes against Jersey Shore’s Addison Koch during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore’s Addison Kock competes against Hughesville’s Georgia Randall during a high school girl’s tennis match at Jersey Shore on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.