For two playoff rounds, Vicksburg tennis coach Kevin Manton has found the right combination to earn wins over Pontotoc and Lafayette County.

Friday afternoon’s North State Class 4A final with Oxford is looking difficult for Manton to solve. Not only is Oxford the defending 4A team champion, the Chargers have also had very little in the way of graduation losses. Vicksburg (16-2) will host Oxford at Halls Ferry Park at 4 p.m.

If you go

Friday, 4 p.m. – Class 4A North State Championship, Oxford at Vicksburg, Halls Ferry Park

The winner moves on to play for the state team title on Monday in Ridgeland.

“I can’t seem to find our fourth point. Oxford is really good in four areas. The only thing they lost off last year’s team is the No. 1 girls singles player,” Manton said. “This year, they have the No. 1 seeds for next week’s singles and doubles tournament in No. 1 boys singles, No. 1 boys doubles, No. 2 girls singles and mixed.”

Vicksburg faced Oxford last year in the second round of the 4A playoffs and lost 6-1. The fact that they are playing this time in the North State finals shows the Gators progression.

“We’ve had a really good season,” Manton said. “We’ve gone from going out in the second round last year to making it to North State this year. We’ve lost only two team matches and they were to Brandon (4-2) and Northwest Rankin, two 5A teams.”

Vicksburg also won the Division 3-4A team title and then defeated Pontotoc 4-3 in the first round at Halls Ferry. Last week they 4-3 at Lafayette County.

Two seniors, Catherine Figueroa and Grace Ga-as, have helped the Gators find the four match points to advance in the last two rounds.

“I think we’re as ready as we’ve ever been,” Ga-as said Wednesday. She will play mixed doubles with Fritz Valero. Last week, she played with Perry Tolliver and the pair had to win a 10-point tiebreaker (10-6) in the third set to cinch the second round match against Lafayette County.

“We could’ve got the second set to 5-5, but we just beat ourselves and had a split set,” Ga-as said. “But we did win the match.”

Manton has already juggled last week’s lineup and has moved his No. 1 boys singles player Donald Brown to play with Tolliver in No. 2 boys doubles.

“Oxford is too good at No. 1 boys singles and No. 1 boys doubles,” Manton said. “Our best chance is to have Perry and Donald go at No. 2 doubles,” Manton said. “I think Christine (Figueroa) will win her No. 1 singles match and Charlene and Catherine are a really strong pair in the No. 1 girls double. We just have to get lucky in mixed even though I’ve heard Oxford has a strong boy playing mixed.”

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com