Lauderdale County High School won two of three doubles championships Friday morning in the final day of the AHSAA’s 2024 Class 1A/3A State Tennis Tournament at Mobile Tennis Center and sophomore Lizzie Tanner battled back from a 6-1 first set deficit to claim the No. 2 singles title as the Coach Haleigh Woodard’s Tigers captured their second girls’ state tennis championship in a row.
Lauderdale County finished the two-day state meet with 42 points, and St. James – with four players who won singles titles – finished second with 41. Indian Springs finished third with 23 points.
In the boys’ Class 1A/3A state tournament, Providence Christian captured the state title, edging runner-up Covenant Christian 41-38 in the final points tally. Tuscaloosa Academy was third with 31.
Mountain Brook High School’s girls’ and boys’ teams swept both AHSAA Class 6A state tennis titles, but the teams took distinctly different roads to the winner’s circle at the conclusion of the 79th annual AHSAA State Tennis Championships.
The Spartans’ boys captured five of six singles titles and all three doubles titles to win their 28th state crown overall, rolling up 84 points while runner-up Hartselle finished with 39 and third-place Spanish Fort had 37.
Mountain Brook’s girls and St. Paul’s girls advanced to the doubles finals tied at 66 points each – after splitting the singles championships 3-3. Coach Susan Farlow’s Spartans won the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles championships while coach Jill Boulo’s Saints won the No. 3 doubles title – and Mountain Brook escaped with the school’s 33rd state championship and its seventh straight championship since 2017 by a slim 72-69 margin.
Sophomore Jonni Kneer of Tuscaloosa Academy won the boys’ Class 1A/3A No. 1 singles title on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the Mobile Tennis Center in the AHSAA State Tennis Championships. (AHSAA | David Holtsford)AHSAA
Class 1A/3A
St. Luke’s sophomore Ella Bentley captured the 1A/3A No. 1 singles championship, beating Indian Springs senior Sohana Caplash in the finals 6-4, 6-1. The No. 2 singles match turned out to be classic as Lauderdale County’s Tanner found herself trailing St. Luke’s freshman Laura Watson 6-1 after the first set. Tanner battled back to win the second set 6-3 and then won the third set 10-4 to give the Tigers the only 2 points they would pick up in the singles finals. Those points proved to be the difference in finishing first or finishing as runner-up.
St. James kept the pressure on with by winning the final four singles championships. In those four title matches, two were wins over defending state champion Lauderdale County. Sophomore Karly Bailey (No. 3), Davis Wilsford (No. 4), freshman Helen Johnston (No. 5) and senior Addison Seales (No. 6) each captured singles crowns for the Lady Trojans.
The winning Tigers rebounded in the doubles finals, however. Seniors Molly Burchell and Jilly Tanner beat Caplash and Marley Nadler in the No. 1 doubles finals 6-1, 6-4. Lauderdale County also won what turned out to be an even bigger victory when Lizzie Tanner and Mallory McConnell, both sophomores, captured a 6-2, 6-2 win over St. James’ senior duo Reilly Taylor and Seales. The Trojans’ tandem of eighth-grader Raleigh Court and Helen Johnston defeated Lauderdale County’s No. 3 double team consisting of senior Anna Paige Davis and eighth-grader Ivey Tinker 6-1, 6-3.
While the final tally was close, the boys’ tourney Friday turned into a game of catch-up.
Providence Christian, coached by John Hughes, scored 37 of its 41 points in Thursday’s action to build an 11-point lead over Covenant Christian and Tuscaloosa Academy, who were tied with 26 points each. When the dust settled Friday, Covenant Christian finished second with 38 points and Tuscaloosa Academy was third with 31.
Covenant finished strong with three singles championship wins and two doubles titles. Tuscaloosa Academy sophomore Jonnie Kneer won the No. 1 singles title beating Providence sophomore Jackson Hughes in the finals 6-0-6-1, and teamed with junior Holman Bearden to capture the No. 1 doubles crown over Hughes and Mason McCallister, 6-4, 6-2.
Providence Christian’ first state title came down to McCallister. The freshman won the No. 2 singles title Friday beating senior Elliott Storey of the Alabama School for Cyber Technology & Engineering 6-4, 6-2, and seventh-grader Cole Harrison won the No. 5 singles finals over Tuscaloosa Academy sophomore Thomas Plott with a 6-0, 1-0 decision with Plott retiring at the 1-0 mark of the second set. The Dothan team had the final cushion it needed.
Covenant Christian did finish strong with junior Tucker McWilliams pulling out a difficult match over Providence senior Wyatt Mixson in the No. 3 singles finals, 6-3, 3-6, 10-8. Zack Bell, a junior, won the No. 4 singles title, and freshman Carson Spain won at No. 6. Covenant’s No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams also won their flights. Bell teamed with Colin Thompson to win at No. 2 doubles, Hall and Spain won at No. 3.
Emma Jane Hamilton of St. Paul’s returns a shot on her way to the Class 6A No. 1 singles title in the AHSAA State Tennis Championships on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the Mobile Tennis Center. (AHSAA | David Holtsford)AHSAA
Class 6A
The Class 6A girls’ singles competition provided the shocker of the tournament and season as Saints sophomore Emma Jane Hamilton snapping Mountain Brook senior Pippa Roy’s unbeaten streak as a high school player at 35 wins in a row with a 6-1, 6-4 win in the semifinals. Hamilton’s victory prevented Roy from becoming just the seventh female tennis player in AHSAA history from becoming a four-time state champion.
Hamilton went on to win the No. 1 singles title beating Madison Academy’s Jaedyn Martin 6-3, 6-3 in the championship match.
Roy didn’t let that defeat deflate her, however. She and fellow senior Annie Lacey were more determined than ever in the No. 1 doubles competition eliminating Hamilton and Emme Clement in the semifinals 6-4, 6-3 and then defeating McGill-Toolen Catholic’s Juliet Galla and Clare LaCour in the doubles finals 6-3, 6-0. For Roy and Lacey, it was their third Class 6A No. 1 doubles title in a row. For Roy, however, it was her fourth. She teamed with Emma Karcher in 2021 to win the Class 7A No. 1 doubles title.
Mountain Brook’s Ann Royal Goodson won the No. 3 singles title, Mae Mae Lacey won at No. 5, and Mary Jackson Darnall won at No. 6. St. Paul’s also won singles championships with Grace Swain (No. 2) and Pearce Graf (No. 4). Ann Coleman and Mae Mae Lacey won the No. 2 doubles championship for the Spartans while Livy Ferguson and Martha Teague won the No. 3 doubles for the Saints.
Mountain Brook’s Luke Schwefler beat Hartsell’s Reid Collins in the 6A boys’ No. 1 singles finals 6-1, 6-1. It was Schwefler’s fourth state championship for the Spartans. He won at No. 3 singles in 2021, at No. 2 singles in 2022 and won the No. 1 title in 2023 and 2024.
Schwefler and Max Gaydosh won the No. 1 doubles title over Trinity Presbyterian’s brother tandem of Samuel and James Treadwell. The Spartans won the final 6-2, 6-1.
The Treadwell brothers reached three major milestones in the 6A tourney Thursday. Samuel, a senior, recorded his 100th career high school win, and James, a junior, did the same. And playing as a doubles tandem since the seventh and eighth grade, the brothers also recorded their 100th career doubles win.
James Treadwell won the No. 2 singles title Friday beating Mountain Brook’s Thomas Austin 6-7 (4), 6-4, 10-5 and was the only player other than a Spartan to win an individual state title at the 2024 state championships. Both brothers have also gone unbeaten during the regular season the last two years.
According to Trinity coaches, the brothers finished this season winning their semifinal battle over Hillcrest’s Griffin Armstrong and J.C. Foster 6-1, 6-2 for the 102nd doubles win in their high school career.
AHSAA 2024 TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MOBILE TENNIS CENTER
Friday’s Results
CLASS 1A/3A
Boys’ Team Scoring
1) Providence Christian 41; 2) Covenant Christian 38; 3) Tuscaloosa Academy 31; 4) Alabama School for Cyber Technology (ASCTE) 22; 5) Lauderdale County 17; 6) Westminster-Oak Mountain 7; 7) Shoals Christian 6; 8) Decatur Heritage 4; 9) Northside Methodist 4; 10) Whitesburg Christian 0
CLASS 1A/3A BOYS’ SINGLES
Friday’s Championship Match Results
No. 1: Jonni Kneer, Tuscaloosa Ac. def. Jackson Hughes, Providence Christian, 6-0, 6-1
No. 2: Mason McCallister, Providence Christian def. Elliott Stoey, ASCTE, 6-4, 6-2
No. 3: Tucker McWilliams, Covenant def. Wyatt Mixson, Providence Christian, 6-3, 3-6, 10-8
No. 4: Zack Bell, Covenant def. Hampton Baxley, Providence Christian, 6-2, 6-4
No. 5: Cole Harrison, Providence Christian def. Thomas Plott, Tuscaloosa Ac., 6-0, 1-0 (retired)
No. 6: Carson Spain, Covenant Christian def. Rex Roberson, Lauderdale County, 6-0, 1-0 (retired)
CLASS 1A/3A BOYS’ DOUBLES
Friday’s Championship Match Results
No. 1: Jonni Kneer/Holman Bearden, Tuscaloosa Ac. def. Mason McCallister/Jackson Hughes, Providence Christian 6-3, 6-2
No. 2: Colin Thompson/Zack Bell, Covenant Christian def. Wyatt Mixson/Hampton Baxley, Providence Christian, 6-4, 6-1
No. 3: Jake Hall/Carson Spain, Covenant Christian def. Baker Burchell/Rex Roberson, Lauderdale County, 2-6, 6-1, 10-4
CLASS 1A/3A GIRLS
Team Scoring
1) Lauderdale County 42; 2) St. James 41; 3) Indian Springs 23; 4) Shoals Christian 13; 5) St. Luke’s 13; 6) Providence Christian 5; 7) Decatur Heritage 2; 7) Whitesburg Christian 2
CLASS 1A/3A GIRLS’ SINGLES
Friday’s Championship Match Results
No. 1: Ella Bentley, St. Luke’s def. Sohana Caplash, Indian Springs, 6-4, 6-1
No. 2: Lizzie Tanner, Lauderdale County def. Lauren Watson, St. Luke’s, 1-6, 6-3, 10-4
No. 3: Karly Bailey, Saint James def. Mallory McConnell, Lauderdale County, 6-1, 6-2
No. 4: Davis Wilsford, Saint James def. Tessa Trembley-Cox, Indian Springs, 6-0, 6-3
No. 5: Helen Johnston, Saint James def. Lyla Well, Shoals Christian, 6-3, 6-2
No. 6: Addison Seale, Saint James def. Ivey Tinker, Lauderdale County, 6-1, 4-6, 10-8
CLASS 1A/3A GIRLS’ DOUBLES
Friday’s Championship Match Results
No. 1: Molly Burchell/Jilly Tanner, Lauderdale County def. Sohana Caplash/Marley Nadler, Indian Springs, 6-1, 6-4 No. 2: Lizzie Tanner/Mallory McConnell, Lauderdale County def. Reilly Taylor/Addison Seale/Saint James, 6-2, 6-2
No. 3: Raleigh Court/Helen Johnston, Saint James def. Anna Paige Davis/Ivey Tinker, Lauderdale County, 6-1, 6-3
CLASS 6A BOYS
Boys’ Team Scoring
1) Mountain Brook 84; 2) Hartselle 39; 3) Spanish Fort 37; 4) Northridge 30; 5) Trinity 28; 6) Briarwood Christian 23; 7) St. Paul’s 20; 8) Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 16; 9) McGill-Toolen 14; 10) Muscle Shoals 13; 11) Gardendale 11; 12) Mortimer Jordan 10; 13) Decatur 4; 14) Fort Payne 2; 14) Hazel Green 2; 14) Pell City 2
CLASS 6A BOYS’ SINGLES
Friday’s Championship Match Results
No. 1: Luke Schwefler, Mountain Brook def. Reid Collins, Hartselle, 6-1, 6-1
No. 2: James Treadwell, Trinity def. Thomas Austin, Mountain Brook, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 10-5
No. 3: Guy Mitchell, Mountain Brook def. J.C. Foster, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, 6-1, 6-1
No. 4: Max Gayden, Mountain Brook def. Nash Thoms, Spanish Fort, 6-3, 6-2
No. 5: Hews Goodson, Mountain Brook def. Lanny Wang, Spanish Fort, 6-2, 6-2
No. 6: George Dumas, Mountain Brook def. Drew Claytor, Northridge, 601, 6-1
CLASS 6A BOYS’ DOUBLES
Friday’s Championship Match Results
No. 1: Max Gaydosh/Luke Schwefler, Mountain Brook def. Samuel Treadwell/James Treadwell, Trinity, 6-2, 6-1
No. 2: Guy Mitchell/Thomas Austin, Mountain Brook def. Jack Miller/Nash Thomas, Spanish Fort. 6-1, 6-1
No. 3: Hews Goodson/George Dumas, Mountain Brook def. Marc Cera/Zeke Priola, Hartselle, 6-1, 6-1
CLASS 6A GIRLS
Team Scoring
1) Mountain Brook 72; 2) St. Paul’s 69; 3) Northridge 33; 4) Hartselle 30; 5) McGill-Toolen 29; 6) Muscle Shoals 25; 7) Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 20; 8) Trinity Presbyterian 16; 9) Pell City 15; 10) Cullman 13; 10) Madison Academy 10; 12) Fort Payne 9; 13) Gardendale 6; 13) Briarwood Christian 6; 15) Pike Road 4; 16) Spanish Fort 2
CLASS 6A GIRLS’ SINGLES
Friday’s Championship Match Results
No. 1: Emma Jane Hamilton, St. Paul’s def. Jaedyn Martin, Madison Academy, 6-3, 6-3
No. 2: Grace Swain, St. Paul’s def. Annie Lacey, Mountain Brook, 6-3, 6-0
No. 3: Ann Royal Goodson, Mountain Brook def. Emme Clement, St. Paul’s, 6-1, 6-3
No. 4: Pearce Graf, St. Paul’s def. Mary Neale Polk, Mountain Brook, 6-2, 5-7, 10-3
No. 5: Me Mae Lacey, Mountain Brook def. Livy Ferguson, St. Paul’s, 6-2, 6-0
No. 6: Mary Jackson Darnall, Mountain Brook def. Miller McLeod, Hartselle, 6-3, 6-1
CLASS 6A GIRLS’ DOUBLES
Friday’s Championship Match Results
No. 1: Pippa Roy/Annie Lacey, Mountain Brook def. Juliet Galla/Clare LaCour, McGill-Toolen, 6-1, 6-0
No. 2: Ann Coleman/Mae Mae Lacey, Mountain Brook def. Kate Thom/Alexandra Salekin, Northridge, 6-2, 2-6, 13-11
No. 3: Livy Ferguson/Martha Teague, St. Paul’s def. Isabella Gautney/Carmen Williams, Muscle Shoals, 6-4, 6-1