MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- It wasn’t easy, but McCallie outlasted Baylor 4-3 Wednesday afternoon in the finals of TSSAA Division II Class AA Boys Tennis to claim the Blue Tornado’s fifth straight state title.
“What do we always say?” Clark asked his team afterward. “Play hard. Play smart. Have fun. We were out there almost four hours and we didn’t give an inch. That’s what this is all about.”
In the end it was about junior Henry Imorde outlasting Baylor’s Fernando Navarro at No.
3 singles 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 after the two teams had to complete the match indoors at the Adams Tennis Complex after storms soaked the outdoor courts.
“I didn’t know who would step up,” said Clark. “But I knew someone would.”
Ironically, Imorde had been in almost this exact same scenario earlier in the year at Baylor in a regular-season match. The match was tied at 3-all and had been moved inside. Imorde also won that third set 6-0 to hand McCallie a 4-3 win.
“I think I actually had more nerves in that one,” Imorde said afterward. “I like the pressure. But that earlier match definitely helped. It let me know I could do it.”
SINGLES:
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Arya Kallambella (B) defeated Gabe Getz 6-4, 6-2
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Sean Clark (M) defeated Jackson Mactaggert 6-4, 6-2
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Henry Imorde (M) defeated Fernando Navarro 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
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Jace Sanford (B) defeated Joseph Cioladis 6-3, 7-6 (2)
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Andrew “Drew” Holland (M) defeated Wade Donovan 6-3, 6-2
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Lee Fiorello (M) defeated Luca Wallish 6-3, 6-4.
DOUBLES:
Kallambella/Sanford (B) defeated Getz/Imorde (8-6)
Donovan/Mactaggert (B) defeated Holland/Fiorello (9-7)
Baylor Girls Also Come Up Short Against Knoxville Catholic, Losing 4-3
Much like their male counterparts, the Baylor girls tennis team saw its state title dreams taken to the final singles match against Knoxville Catholic.
At No. 5 singles, Knox Catholic’s Lauren Murphy outlasted Baylor’s Molly Donovan 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to deny Baylor the state title. Sloane Proffitt, Claudia Finlay and Amelia Ohlsson won singles matches for Baylor, which lost the doubles point to Catholic.
(Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmar@mccallie.org)