The Fort Stockton tennis team was put to the test out of the gates to begin the 2022 season on Aug. 12 at the Basin Brawl in Midland and Odessa.

Jeremiah Ramirez and Cruz Rocha secured a victory in No. 2 and No. 3 boys singles respectively in the Panthers’ second match of the day against Odessa Permian. Jaslyn Pacheco added to the team’s win total in the match with a victory in girls No. 3 singles. Fort Stockton dropped the match 16-3 after losing to Midland High earlier in the day 19-0. The program’s head coach, Victor Garcia, noted that his team learned some valuable lessons against a pair of quality opponents to start the season.

“We struggled to close out some tight games but made sure to fight for every point,” he said. “Learning against Midland High and executing against Permian allowed us to come up with a few wins and keep more tight matches with many more points and games won.

“The event served as a great learning experience for us. They realized it’s best to go out there and have fun and your game will come naturally allowing you to play at your best.”

Fort Stockton’s home opener was cancelled on Aug. 16 against Odessa High. The Panthers are scheduled to host El Paso High and Greenwood on Saturday, Aug. 20 starting at 10 a.m.