By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

For nearly three decades, the Granger Invitational has been a fixture on the local tennis scene.

The tournament, which has grown into one of the largest in the state, returns this weekend, and boys’ and girls’ teams from LaGrange and Callaway are among the participants.

The teams will be separated into five divisions, and boys’ and girls’ teams from dozens of schools will compete for the championships.

Matches will be played at McCluskey Tennis Center, Callaway Gardens, LaGrange College, Heard County, Northgate High in Newnan, Valley (Ala.), and Callaway High.

All of the teams will play twice today, and the championship matches in the different divisions will be on Saturday.

LaGrange’s boys’ team, which is competing in division three, opens

against Early County today at noon at McCluskey Tennis Center.

LaGrange will have two girls’ teams competing.

LaGrange’s varsity team is in division two, and it faces Coffee County today at 2 p.m. at McCluskey Tennis Center.

LaGrange’s junior-varsity team, which is in division five, takes on Callaway today at noon at McCluskey Tennis Center.

Callaway’s boys’ team, which is in division five, plays Christian Heritage today at 1 p.m. at Heard County.

LaGrange’s boys’ and girls’ teams come into the tournament riding high.

LaGrange’s boys team, which blanked Central-Carroll 5-0 this week, is 9-1 overall, and 5-0 in the region. LaGrange is led by number one singles player Pierce Skinner, who has been phenomenal.

“The boys, we started the year off being real under-achievers, and they have played a lot better lately,” LaGrange head coach Kenny Moore said. “Pierce is playing the best of his life at number one. He’s our cornerstone.”

With its 4-1 win over Central-Carroll, LaGrange’s girls’ team is 7-3 overall, and 4-1 in Region 5-AAAA.

“We’re excited,” Moore said. “Our girls, we’re pretty deep, so we’ve got a chance to do well.”