Baylor boys’ coach Philip Johnson preaches “strong doubles wins matches” and although the Chattanooga Rotary finals were not played on Sunday, the Red Raiders heeded the call, swept the three doubles finals to win the 59th Rotary Tennis Championship Saturday on the Baylor courts.
Facing two-time defending champion St. Xavier (Ky.) in all three doubles finals and trailing by a point (17-16), the Red Raiders won the finals to edge the Kentucky state champs, 19-17.
Mountain Brook (Ala.) who had been tied with St. X and Baylor for the lead (12 points each) after Friday’s matches, took third with 14.5 points and McCallie was fourth with 7.5 in the eight team field.
“We work hard on doubles in practice and take a lot of pride in winning the doubles whether in a tournament or dual match,” said Johnson whose team last won the Rotary 2012.
Trailing 17-16 entering doubles, Baylor’s No.2 seeds Jack Gray-Chad Woodham upset No1 seed Brandon Lancaster-Drew Singerman, 9-8 (7-3) to even the match. Baylor’s No.2 team of Patrick Toomey-Cooper Long rallied from a 5-2 deficit to defeat No.1 seed Matt Graft-Kamron-Akrami (St. Xavier), 8-6.
The Red Raiders sealed the win as No.3 doubles Barrett Schock-Ethan Palisoc won 9-7 to make it 19-17.
St. Xavier coach Kerry Lancaster said, “Kudos to Baylor as they were on the top of their game in doubles today. We love coming here for the Rotary and it is such a well-run tournament.”
Helfin’s Lone Oak team won the 2004 girls title (1/2 point over Harpeth Hall – 4 pts separated six schools)) and today McCracken County HS is the result of the merging of Lone Oak, Heath and Reidland.
Girls A Champs: While Baylor won the Boys A title, McCracken (Ky.) girls’ had three singles and one doubles champions to edge first day leader Knox. Webb, 16-14, for its first Rotary A crown. Four-time defending champ Baylor took third with 13 points with one singles and one doubles champion.
Five-time defending TSSAA D-II A state champion Knox. Webb led McCracken 11-10 (Baylor in third with eight points) after Friday’s matches, and had all three doubles teams alive in the semis, but could only win a pair of singles titles.
Girls B Division: First day leader St. Mary’s (Memphis) won three of four singles finals to finish with 16 points, followed by runner-up Spain Park (Ala.) (two singles, one doubles winners) with 11 and Knox Catholic took third with 10 (one doubles winner)
Top-seeded Daryn Ellison (Spain Park) lived up to her pre-tournament favorite role in singles as she defeated Sara Myers (Knox Catholic), 6-0, 6-3 in the final. Ellison teamed with Kendal Holladay to also claim No.1 doubles first place medals.
Boys B Division: Knox Webb boys ran away and hid Saturday, winning four singles and three doubles for 22 points, while Spain Park had two singles champs and totaled 15 points.
At No.1 singles, Lorenzo Rollhauser (Knox Webb) def. Cade Reasons (USJ), 6-2 6-3 for the title. Rollhauser teamed with Rejeev Jadjav to defeat Reasons-Dalton-Hockaday (USJ) win No.1 doubles for Webb. After Friday’s action, Webb led by two at 15-13.
Tourney Notes:
Brother-Sister Champs: Kate Thel and Maggie Eslinger won No.3 doubles while Thel’s brother, Charlie, claimed the No.6 singles medal.
Baylor: Tough Loss – But Bounced Back: At No.4 singles final, in exciting third set, David Faulkner of Mountain Brook (No.1 seed) cramped in the three hour final and had to have medical assistance late in the match. He ended up defeating Baylor’s Patrick Toomey, 13-11 in the third set tie breaker. (3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (13-11)
Toomey came back to team with Cooper Long (No.3 seeds) to win No.2 doubles against top-seeded Matt Graft-Kamron-Akrami (St. Xavier), 8-6. The Red Raider duo trailed 0-3, 2-5 before rallying for the win to give Baylor an 18-17 lead. Baylor’s No.3 doubles then clinched the title winning 9-7.
Mtn. Brook’s David Faulkner: After cramping in the singles final, Faulkner (who was on the court for 4.5 hours) and partner Peter Hartman won two matches for the consolation title
31 Titles: Baylor has now won 31 of the 59 boys titles.
College Bound: Baylor seniors Jack Gray and Chad Woodham will play college tennis; Gray at Sewane and Woodham heading to Austin Peay Univ.
The Baylor pipeline to Sewanee has included All-Amercan Pat Guarry and his great uncle Alex Guerry and current freshman Maggie Crumbliss.
.Kudos: The Rotary volunteers once again did a great job at all three sites … tip of the cap to tourney director Jack Webb, match assigner Mary Cook and Beth Johns of Miller Martin who worked tirelessly to help make this one of the best prep tourneys in the South.
Girls A Division
Final Standings: 1 McCracken (Ky.) (16) 2. Knox Webb (14) 3. Baylor (13) 4.GPS (10) 5. Huntsville (6) 6. Mtn Brook (6) 7. Harpeth Hall (2.5) 8. Christian Academy of Knox (0)
Singles - Championship Finals
No.1 – (1) Michelle McKamey (McCracken def. (4) Maddox Bandy (GPS), 6-2, 6-1
No.2 – (1) Taylor Sprouse (McCracken) def. (2) Presley Thomas (Baylor), 6-4 2-6, 7-5
No.3 – (2) Lauren Carelli (Baylor) def. Caroline Ross (Knox Webb), 6-1, 6-4
No.4 – (2) Diana Grandas (Knox Webb) def. (3) Sophia Shiben (McCracken), 6-3 7-5
No.5 – Mesa Trim, (McCracken) def. (1) Cele Sullivan (Mtn Brook), 6-4, 6-1’
No.6 – (3) Quinn Riley (Knox Webb) def. (2) Landie McBrayer (Baylor), 5-7, 7-5, 6-1
Doubles Finals
No.1 - (1) Michelle McKamey-Taylor Sprouse (McCracken) def. (2) Lauren Yoon-Anna Wisniewski (Knox Webb), 8-1
Consolation Final: Jennnie McBrayer-Analisa Stratienko (GPS) def.Grace Claybrook-Steph Davis (Harpeth Hall), 8-0
No.2 – (3) Lauren Carelli-Lily Mooney (Baylor) def. Sarah Cooper-Ellie Polk (Mtn Brook), 8-4
Consolation Final: (4) Ashton Jenne-Presley Thomas (Baylor) def, Emma Alsup-Liz LeBleu (Harpeth Hall), 9-7
No.3 – (2) Maggie Eslinger-Kate Thel (GPS) def. Mesa Trimm-Jacie Trimm (McCracken), 8-5
Consolation Final: (1) Hannah Kleban-Olivia Stanford (Baylor) def. Margaret Gaw-Julia Nahley (Harpeth Hall), 8-1
Boys A Division
Final Standings: 1 (tie). Baylor (19) 2. St. Xavier (17) 3. Mtn. Brook (14.5) 4. McCallie (7.5) 5. Huntsville (4) 6. MBA (2) 7. Randolph (1.5) 8. Knox Catholic (1).
Singles Finals
No.1 – (1) Brandon Lancaster (St. Xavier) def. Chad Woodham (Baylor), 6-2 6-2
No.2 – (1) Drew Singerman (St. Xavier) def. (2) Peter Hartman (Mtn. Brook)m 6-1, 6-2
No.3 – (3) Yates Jackson (Mtn Brook) def. (2) Cooper Long (Baylor), 6-1, 6-2
No.4 – (1) David Faulkner (Mtn Brook) def. (2) Patrick Toomey (Baylor), 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (12-11)
No.5 – (1) Alec Kadrie (Baylor) def. (2) Spencer Blanford (St. Xavier), 6-2, 6-1
No.6 – (3) Charlie Thel (McCallie) def. Paul Jones (Mtn Brook), 6-3, 6-2
Doubles Finals
No.1 – (2) Jack Gray-Chad Woodham (Baylor) def, (1) Brandon Lancaster-Drew Singerman (St. Xavier), 9-8 (7-3)
Consolation Final: George Harwell-Wren McFadden (MBA) def. Owen Averbuch-Grant Ginsburg (Randolph)
No.2 – (3) Cooper Long-Patrick Toomey (Baylor) def. (1) Matt Graft-Kamron Akrami (St. Xavier), 8-6
Consolation Final (2) Peter Hartman-David Faulkner (Mtn. Brook) def. Conner O’Brien-Andrew Smith (McCallie), 8-6
No.3 – (4) Barrett Schock-Ethan Palisoc (Baylor) def. (1) ben Gornet-Patrick Koshewa (St, Xavier), 9-7
Girls B Division
Final Standings: 1. St. Mary's (16) 2. Spain Park (11) 3. Knox Catholic (10) 4. Randolph (9) 5. Univ School Jackson (8) 6. Chattanooga Christian (4) 7. (tie) Signal Mtn, Univ School Nashville (2)
Singles Finals
No.1 – Daryn Ellison (Spain Park) def. Sara Myers (Knox Catholic), 6-0, 6-3
No.2 – Carmen Saab (St. Mary’s) def. Suzanna Camp (Univ School Jackson), 6-2, 6-0
No.3 – Caroline Culpepper (St. Mary’s) def. Spencer Hancock (Univ. School Jackson), 6-1, 6-0
No.4 – Ally Below (Randolph) def. Grace Marr (St. Mary’s), 6-4, 6-2
No.5 – Grace Murray (St. Mary’s) def. Lizzy Hoffecker (Chattanooga Christian), 6-4, 6-2
No.6 – Madison Beech (Spain Park) def. Ansley Turley (Knox Catholic), 6-2, 6-0
Doubles Finals
No.1- Daryn Ellison-Kendal Holladay (Spain Park) def. Mary Jane McCaghren-Carmen Saab (St. Mary’s), 8-4
No.2 – Emily Thompson-Sara Myers (Knox Catholic) def. Aly Sexton-Hattie Crosby (Randolph), 8-6
No.3 – Bonnie Lioce-Avery League (Randolph) def. Tieney Sovic-Jordan Susce (Spain Park), 8-2
Boys B Division
Final Standings: 1. Knox Webb (22) 2, Spain Park (15) 3. McCracken (11) 4. Univ School Jackson (10) 5. Christian Acad of Knoxville (5) 6. Signal Mtn (4.5) 7. Univ School Nashville (1) 8. Chattanooga Christian (0.5)
Singles Finals
No.1 - Lorenzo Rollhauser (Knox Webb) def. Cade Reasons (Univ School Jackson), 6-2, 6-3
No.2 – Garrett Hartsock (Spain Park) def. Tommy Hagan (McCracken), 6-3,6-0
No.3 – Thomas Loazia (Webb) def. Ty Sovic (Sparin Park), 6-0, 6-3
No.4 – Ohm Sharma (Webb) def. Andre Gregory (USJ), 6-0, 6-2
No.5 – Parker Hamilton (Webb) def. Connor Jones (Spain Park), 6-2, 6-2
No.6 – Cameron Trower (Spain Park) def. Pat Wadlington (McCracken), 6-2, 7-6 (5)
Doubles Finals
No.1 – Lorenzo Rollhauser-Rejeev Jadjav (Webb) def. Cade Reasons-Dalton Hockaday ((USJ), 8-4
Consolation Finals: Logan McKinney-Tommy Hagan (McCracken) def. Jason Morris-Luke Blentlinger (Signal Mtn.), 8-4
No.2 – Ohm Sharma-Thomas Loazia (Webb) def. Grant Williams-Thomas Thelen (Signal Mtn.), 8-4
Consolation Finals: Vincent Shiben-Eddie Lam (McCracken) def. Garrett Evans-Miguel Sioson (USJ), 8-4
No.3 – Parker Hamilton-Tony Romano (Webb) def. Dalton Holladay-Jack Satterfield (Spain Park), 8-6
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net