PLAYERS from local secondary schools were back in action last week, competing in the second round of matches in the winter league sponsored by Totally Tennis and Brighton Hill Community College (BHCC).

The league provides separate competition for under-13s and under-16s once a month, giving them the opportunity to play against other school teams in the area through the winter months.

The under-16s played last Monday, with 34 boys entering the competition. Costello Technology College's Jake Brice and Sam Randall advanced through to the final stages along with Matthew Church and Peter Mennear from Bishop Challoner and BHCC players James McIntosh/Simon James and Matthew Gibbons/Craig Smith.

The final pitched Brice and Randall against McIntosh and James, with the BHCC pairing coming out on top to win their school's first title of the week and their second winter league tournament victory in a row.

In the under-13 boys' event on Wednesday, 34 players competed in four boxes, playing round-robin matches.

BHCC players again dominated, with all four semi-finalists coming from the school.

Number one seeds Tom Mahoney and Jack Nicholson beat schoolmates Tom Stanley and Jay Scarsborough, while Chris Swadling and Tom Cortizo beat Sam Rice and Sam Cox.

In the final, the more experienced pairing of Mahoney and Nicholson won by a margin of just two games.

In the girls' competition, players compete as under-16s only, and the BHCC pairing of Stephanie Catlin and Caroline Ranson gave their school a third title of the week, beating team-mates Vicki Lopes and Laura Wright.

The league continues after Christmas and will run once a month on Monday and Wednesday evenings until April.