Oxford and Lafayette scheduled themselves some hard, early-season matchups.

Only early March in a tennis season that stretches into late April, matches at this part of the season have no bearing on region play and playoff seeding, but are still significant. So, both Lafayette head coach Debbie Swindoll and Oxford head coach take the same approach: schedule it tough now to prepare their teams for the late-season grind. Here’s where both teams stand early in the year.

Lafayette: 3-1

Through four games, the Commodores hold two wins over 6A competition. Twice in the early season, once at home and once at Northwest Mississippi Community College, Lafayette has dropped Hernando in a pair of tight 4-3 matchups. The team’s only loss in the short season comes in a 5-2 match against Tupelo at home.

Oxford: 2-1

Like the crosstown Lafayette squad, Oxford also holds one loss to very good competition. The Chargers traveled all the way to Ridgeland on Monday, losing a 5-2 game to Madison Central. Despite the 5-2 loss, four of the seven matchups with Madison Central came down to the third and final set on Monday, with Oxford winning just one of those four matchups. The team turned around one day later and swept TCPS in a dominant 7-0 showing.

The two schools meet just once in 2020, facing off later this month on March 26.