Franklin, Krantz win divisional doubles title; 3 Wildcats qualify for district / Tennis

Oak Harbor High School’s Micah Franklin and Nick Krantz won the doubles championship at the Wesco North Divisional Tournament Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 22 and 23, at Snohomish High School.

The top four in singles and doubles at the tournament qualified for district play, which is Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 29 and 30, at Arlington High School.

The Wildcat duo, which came from behind to win two of its four matches, will be joined at district by Franklin’s brother Ezra, who finished fourth in the divisional singles tournament.

The same three Oak Harbor players qualified for district last fall but in a different format. Krantz finished fourth in the divisional singles tournament and the Franklins took third in doubles.

Oak Harbor’s other entrants in this week’s divisional tournament lost in the loser-out first round and were eliminated.

Micah Franklin and Krantz defeated Dawson Coe and Jake Sulya of Marysville-Pilchuck 6-2, 6-1 in the opening round and then stopped Ben Nichols and Keaton McBride of Arlington 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the Wildcat pair beat Stanwood’s Shintaro Wilcox and Preston Pierce 6-7(3), 6-0, 7-5 in the semifinals, and then wrapped up the title by taking down Everett’s Aaron Robertson and Grant Mueller 6-3, 6-2.

Ezra Franklin opened the tournament Tuesday with two wins, topping Arlington’s Zack Martian 6-0, 6-1 and M-P’s Parker Devereux 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Wednesday, he lost to eventual champion Macen Strickland of Snohomish 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3 and then beat Carson Asper of Stanwood 6-2, 7-6(0) to stay alive.

In the match for third and fourth place, he lost to Will MacDonald of Snohomish 6-4, 6-0.

Oak Harbor’s Ethan Snell and Yuji Caballero fell in the first round of doubles Tuesday 6-2, 6-2 to Robertson and Mueller.

In singles play, Ridgely Briddell lost 6-2, 6-4 to Asper.