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Photo by Eric Engman

FAIRBANKS — Drew Lanning faced match point and Ken Sample was charging the net.

Lanning, a Lathrop High School junior, then gathered himself and coolly ripped a backhand winner past West Valley’s top singles player.

Four points later, Lanning executed a perfect serve-and-volley to clinch a come-from-behind 1-6, 6-3, 1-0 (9-7) victory in the season-opening Region VI match on a sunny Wednesday at the Dan Ramras Community Tennis Courts.

Lanning’s win proved crucial as the Malemutes — despite missing top singles player Sean Sullivan — edged the Wolfpack 4-3, marking at least the fourth straight meet between the cross-town rivals that’s ended by the narrowest of margins.

“It’s typical West Valley-Lathrop. We usually have a 4-3 finish,” new Wolfpack varsity coach Debbie Miller said. “It’s usually really close and it comes down to tiebreakers. It makes it fun to watch.”

This one was a thriller, as Lathrop took three of four singles matches — including a surprise win by sophomore Annelise Bachelder — and then clinched the meet as Jessa Boerjte and Mackenzie Calvillo won 6-1, 6-3 in girls doubles over Loni Ellsworth and Teresa Lang.

But back to Lanning, who usually plays doubles but was thrust into the singles role practically at the last minute because Sullivan hasn’t yet attended 10 practices.

Sample, who along with brother Joe transferred to West Valley from Monroe Catholic, handled Lanning easily in the opening set before Lanning recovered, thereby setting up the third-set tiebreaker.

Down 6-4, Lanning survived the first match point when Sample sent a volley into the net. Then came the dramatic backhand to level the tiebreaker at 6.

Lanning’s strategy had been just to keep the ball in play, but then Sample forced the issue by attacking the net.

“I just went for it all because he’s really good at the net,” Lanning said. “I was so nervous.”

Another key to Lathrop’s victory was the composure of Bachelder, who edged the more experienced Aurora Roth of West Valley in a pair of tiebreakers, 6-5, 6-5. Bachelder set up match point by outlasting Roth on a long rally and then ended it when the West Valley senior sent a shot wide.

“Good job, Annelise! Where’d you come from?,” Lathrop head coach Milo Griffin said.

Miller knows all too well where Bachelder came from.

“She was one of my top girls last year (on the West Valley junior varsity). We were sorry to lose her to Lathrop,” Miller said.

The lanky Bachelder transferred largely for academic reasons, but showed her athletic talent in her first varsity match.

“I just kept telling myself to keep the ball in and to not get mad because usually I get really mad at myself,” Bachelder said.

Bachelder was all smiles after the upset at No. 1 singles, but she began the match with minimal confidence.

“When I first got paired up with (Roth), I just thought I was going to lose,” she said.

Lathrop’s other win came from Tyler Loud, who topped Joe Sample 6-2, 6-5 at No. 2 singles.

West Valley got victories from Caitlin Deutsch, who edged Becca Gryder 2-6, 6-5, 1-0 (7-1) at No. 2 singles; from Forest Owen and Logan Little in boys doubles (6-4, 6-5 over siblings Zack and Kade Fitzgerald); and from Lee Edwards and Jenna Powers, who won mixed doubles 6-3, 6-2 over Max Hesser-Knoll and Amanda Lien.

Last year, the teams split a pair of dual meets by 4-3 scores, then West Valley prevailed over Lathrop in the Region VI Tournament by the same score. The Wolfpack followed that up by placing second at the inaugural Alaska State Tennis Championships.

But Lathrop has taken round one in 2008. A rematch is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Hutchison wins

The Hutchison Hawks dodged the rain by about a minute to beat the North Pole Patriots 4-2.

Hutchison won both boys singles matches, one girls singles match and the mixed doubles event.

Chris Poole edged Ryan Smith, 6-2, 5-6, 1-0 (7-3) in one boys singles match. Nick Raugust downed Mason Schoemaker, 6-0, 6-0, in the other.

Kelsey Peterson earned a 6-0, 6-0 win in girls singles, and Dan Powers teamed up with Allie Parra to win the mixed doubles event, 6-0, 6-0, over Kelsey Scott and Thomas Lenahan.

North Pole’s Kayla Arthofer defeated Miranda Jenkins 6-0, 6-0. The Patriots also won the girls doubles match as Amelia Segler and Rachael O’Leary beat Rachel Wright and Rachael McDougall 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (7-1).

There was no boys doubles match.

Contact staff writer Matias Saari at 459-7591.