CHARLESTON, W.Va. — On the strength of winning four of seven singles and doubles titles, George Washington’s boys tennis team notched its third consecutive Class AAA state championship Saturday at Schoenbaum Tennis Courts.
Huntington’s girls team, which won half of the four singles crowns and had another runner-up finish, claimed a state title with 14 points.
The Patriots got a No. 2 singles title from Alex Stacy, who topped Cabell Midland’s Aiden Cottrell 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
“It was about the boys’ mentality,” GW coach Taylor Rose said. “Alex losing the second set, cramping in the third set and winning it 7-5, it shows they don’t give up and there’s no quit in them.”
GW also won the No. 3 and 4 singles crowns, with Samir Jones besting Cabell Midland’s Ashton Cottrell 6-1, 6-2 and Chris Muto defeating Huntington’s Jax O’Roarke 6-0, 6-0, respectively.
Jones and Muto combined for a No. 2 doubles title as well, posting a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Cabell Midland’s Ashton Cottrell and Jackson Erwin, 6-1, 6-1.
The lone singles title not won by the Patriots came in a thrilling match at the No. 1 spot, with Huntington’s A.J. Mercer getting past GW’s Rohen Jones 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 6-1.
“Nobody expected him to be that close to AJ, so he should be commended for that match,” Rose said.
Mercer and Luke Lovejoy also won the final match of the day for a No. 1 doubles title, outlasting Ashton Cottrell and Alex Cottrell in a three-set marathon, 7-6 (7-2), 1-6, 7-6 (7-3).
Parkersburg’s No. 3 doubles duo of Simon Strobl and Levi Frashure claimed a title with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over GW’s Anurag Reddy and Shreyes Jogenpally.
That wasn’t enough to prevent the Patriots from winning another title, however, as they finished with 16 points. Cabell Midland (12), Huntington (11) and Parkersburg (6) followed.
While there was no tennis season a year ago, it marked GW’s seventh championship in the last eight years it was eligible for one.
“It means everything and shows how hard these boys have worked through that offseason,” Rose said. “We didn’t have a season last year and this shows how much they’ve put in over this last year and-a-half. They worked this season to get right back where they are and it means everything to them.”
As for the Highlanders’ girls team, singles titles from Tess Weiler and Sophie Agrawal were instrumental to the team’s success. Weiler knocked off GW’s Lilyana Stone in the No. 3 final 6-2, 6-0. Agrawal’s victory came in the No. 4 title match in convincing fashion against Morgantown’s Samantha Carver 6-0, 6-1.
“It’s awesome and a great feeling,” Huntington coach Mart Hicks said. “I knew we had a good team going in and we have a very young team. I’m still kind of at a loss for words. These girls worked really hard and we knew (Cabell) Midland and Hurricane had some incredible players, so it was going to take a total team effort to do this.”
Hurricane’s Katy Limanen prevented the Highlanders from claiming another singles title by beating Molly Archer in straight sets in the No. 2 final 7-5, 6-0.
Cabell Midland’s Hanley Riner claimed the No. 1 crown with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over the Redskins’ Lexi Smolder.
But Smolder was still part of a title in doubles play, as she teamed with Limanen for a 6-4, 6-0 win against Riner and Kylie Fisher in the No. 1 final.
George Washington won both the No. 2 and 3 doubles titles. Lily Stone and Zoe Charles got by Cabell Midland’s Brooke Vaughn and Blaire Vaughn in the No. 2 final 6-2, 6-2. Jana Zatar and Emma Ratrie then wrapped up an unbeaten season in No. 3 doubles action by besting Parkersburg’s Sofia Olson and Ashley Welshans 7-5, 6-1.
“We had to take control and once it was our game and not theirs, that’s when we were able to win it,” Zatar said.
For Ratrie, a freshman, pairing with Zatar helped provide the desired finish to a memorable debut season.
“We’re both really good at the net and pretty hard hitters on the baseline, so it kind of works out,” Ratrie said. “Jana is really fast and can get to some balls that I can’t get to, so that really helps us out.”
Hurricane (10), Cabell Midland (10) and GW (8) followed the Highlanders in the order of team finish.
For Huntington, which won titles annually from 2011-2014, it was the program’s first championsip since 2017.
“It was a complete team effort,” Hicks said. “Even if they didn’t win their bracket, everybody contributed and that’s how you win.”
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George Washington boys, Huntington girls claim Class AAA tennis championships - West Virginia MetroNews
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