It was hard to tell who was more chic Thursday night at the Lawrence Tennis Center Lawrence High doubles partners Becca Fritzel and Sydney Lartigue in red and black uniforms or LHS coach Dick Wedel sporting his always suave straw cowboy hat.

“I do love the hat,” Lartigue said with a laugh.

What was clear, though, is that no one in the trio knew the secret team handshake, because all three butchered it during a break in their doubles match.

Luckily for Lartigue and Fritzel that was about the only thing they did wrong Thursday. Both won their singles matches against Manhattan players before the duo dumped the Indians’ doubles team of Laura Ragan and Morgan Lewis-Smith, 8-4, leading the way to a 7-3 Lions victory.

“He first brought out the two fingers,” said senior Fritzel, demonstrating Wedel’s impromptu scissors-cut hand motion of gratitude. “Then we all started bumping our fists together.”

Hey, if it works, and apparently the uncoordinated Lions’ gesture got the job done for a doubles team playing together for just the second time this season.

“They sure look good don’t they?” Wedel asked, grinning about both his team’s performance and pageantry.

“They are playing well, though, if they keep this up they may be our No. 1 team.”

Lawrence's Sydney Lartigue hits a return against Manhattan.

Wedel said that won’t be decided until regional play nears, but the two Lions wouldn’t mind tending the net together.

“We’re just now starting to learn how to work with each other,” Lartigue said. “We’re learning each other’s weaknesses and strengths and how to play off of those.”

Apparently the pair has had no trouble finding fun.

There were several moments Thursday when the two, for no apparent reason, just started cutting up, including one approach shot that Fritzel completely muffed.

“We like to go out there and have a lot of fun with each other,” said Fritzel, who remembers hitting with Lartigue when the two were in middle school. “It’s just a good time.”

The pair can laugh all they want, but in two days they’ll play in the Emporia Invitational.

And that leaves little practice time for the Lions to position their palms correctly.

Thursday at Lawrence Tennis Center

LHS 7, Manhattan 3

Singles

1. Sydney Lartigue, LHS, def. Laura Ragan, 8-7 (7); 2. Becca Fritzel, LHS, def. Morgan Lewis-Smith, 8-2; 3. Emily Fenwick, M, def. April Merinno-Brammell, 8-4; 4. Jessica Weaver, M, def. Misty Hammer, 8-3; 5. Rachelle Saathoff, LHS, def. Ashley Zahn, 8-3; 6. Amy Bullerman, LHS, def. Casey Brown, 8-6; 7. Jennifer Falk, LHS, def. Jessica Harvet, 8-0.

Doubles

1. Lartigue/Fritzel, LHS, def. Ragan/Smith, 8-5; 2. Bullerman/Saathoff, LHS, def. Weaver/Zahn; 3. Sarah Wilson/Hammer, LHS, def. Brown/Harvet, 8-5; 4. Faulk/Smith, M, def. Shannon Wanna/Jill Van Coever, 6-1.