The Union Pines boys’ tennis team suffered its first loss of the season Monday when it lost a close 5-4 Tri-County Conference decision to visiting High Point Central.

After splitting the singles matches 3-3, the Bison won two of the three doubles matches to get the win. Union Pines fell to 3-1 with the loss (1-1 conference).

Jordan Gray, the Vikings’ No. 1 singles player, won 10-6 over Mac Ellenburg of High Point to improve to 74-23 in his career at the school. Sam Stalls won at No. 3 singles and teamed with Walker Buchan to win at No. 1 doubles and moved to 40-7 in his career at Union Pines.

Last week, the Vikings defeated non-conference foe Pine Forest by a 9-0 score.

HP Central 5, Union Pines 4

Singles — Jordan Gray (UP) defeated Mac Ellenburg 10-6; Walker Buchan (UP) def. Walt Reece 10-5; Sam Stalls (UP) def. David Zenns 10-4; James Finnegan (HPC) def. John Hipp 10-3; Taylor Bryant (HPC) def. Gary Garner 10-1; Harry Johnson (HPC) def. Greg Thompson 10-2.

Doubles — Buchan-Stalls (UP) def. Ellenburg-Reece 8-1; Bryant-Zenns (HPC) def. Gray-Hipp 8-4; Finnegan-Johnson (HPC) def. Garner-Thompson 8-4.

Union Pines 9, Pine Forest 0

Singles — Jordan Gray (UP) def. Grant Peaden 10-4; Walker Buchan (UP) def. Fong Dong 10-2; Sam Stalls (UP) def. Marshan Hines 10-1; John Hipp (UP) def. Joey Weaver 10-6; Gary Garner (UP) def. Will Westmoreland 10-6; Greg Thompson ((UP) def. Chris Sweet 10-4.