Ads, Lady Ads serve notice early
That approach has helped the Illinois native and her husband, first-year assistant coach Jim Swanson, develop a quick rapport with the FHS program. The Ads and Lady Ads are two of several area units in the midst of strong starts to the 2026 season.
Both Farragut teams feature a bevy of returners, led by top seeds Leyton Lu (Ads) and Isha Patel (Lady Ads).
The Lady Ads sit at 2-0, having dispatched Hardin Valley and Maryville in dominant fashion early-on.
The Admirals, meanwhile, sit at 1-1 with their loss coming to rival Maryville in a tense tiebreaker.
Against the Rebels, the doubles team of senior Lu and junior Grayer Dunagan — a transfer whom Swanson called “a great addition” — trailed 5-2 early. But they came back to win 9-7 against Maryville’s top-seeded doubles team, which advanced to sectionals just last season.
“We didn’t win the match, but that was a huge win against those two strong players,” Swanson said.
FHS also had a strong showing in a Feb. 28 Tri-Cities match, taking third in a match with Science Hill, Dobyns-Bennett, Webb and Wilson Central.
“Which is huge,” Swanson said, “because these are teams that always go to state.”
Now, FHS will look to continue its success March 24 against Catholic.
As for Hardin Valley, the Hawks will look to continue the success they experienced last year under head coach Seth Rayman.
Madison Huffman won the district and region tournaments, advancing all the way to the state championship match. She is undefeated so far this year after going 25-1 last season with the lone blemish coming in her final match of the season.
Freshman Jaymeson Huffman is “the best player in the district and region,” per Rayman and is a heavy postseason favorite. He is undefeated so far, having defeated Lu en route to a spotless record.
The HVA girls team opened its season with a 6-3 win over Bearden while the Hawks lost by the same score as the youngest team in the district.
Finally, the Bearden tennis programs are being led by first-year coach Mary Watkins, who has seen noticeable consistency so far.
The Bulldogs are 5-1 overall with a 2-0 mark in district play, as seniors Nitin Deshpande and Yejoon Ham have led a team that won four straight entering Tuesday’s match with Webb.
Meanwhile, the Lady Bulldogs feature two seniors and two juniors with the rest as sophomores and freshmen. They sit at 3-3 with a 1-1 record in district, having dispatched Lenoir City 9-0 on March 6 for their third win in their last four matches.
“This team has been so encouraging for me as a coach, because they are all working hard and want to improve,” Watkins said. “They have the best attitudes, and it’s so refreshing and encouraging. They’re like sponges and soak it all up.”
