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.

The Class 6A state tennis tournament was expected to finish later Friday afternoon.

St. Luke’s sophomore Ella Bentley captured the 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.

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 Chr., 6-0, 6-1

No. 2: Mason McCallister, Providence Chr. def. Elliott Stoey, ASCTE, 6-4, 6-2

No. 3: Tucker McWilliams, Covenant def. Wyatt Mixson, Providence Chr., 6-3, 3-6, 10-8

No. 4: Zack Bell, Covenant def. Hampton Baxley, Providence Chr., 6-2, 6-4

No. 5: Cole Harrison, Providence Chr. def. Thomas Plott, Tuscaloosa Ac., 6-0, 1-0 (retired)

No. 6: Carson Spain, Covenant Chr. def. Rex Roberson, Lauderdale Co., 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 Chr. def. Wyatt Mixson/Hampton Baxley, Providence Chr., 6-4, 6-1

No. 3: Jake Hall/Carson Spain, Covenant Chr. def. Baker Burchell/Rex Roberson, Lauderdale Co., 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 Co. def. Lauren Watson, St. Luke’s, 1-6, 6-3, 10-4

No. 3: Karly Bailey, Saint James def. Mallory McConnell, Lauderdale Co., 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 Chr., 6-3, 6-2

No. 6: Addison Seale, Saint James def. Ivey Tinker, Lauderdale Co., 6-1, 4-6, 10-8

CLASS 1A/3A GIRLS’ DOUBLES

Friday’s Championship Match Results

No. 1: Molly Burchell/Jilly Tanner, Lauderdale Co. def. Sohana Caplash/Marley Nadler, Indian Springs, 6-1, 6-4

No. 2: Lizzie Tanner/Mallory McConnell, Lauderdale Co. 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 Co., 6-1, 6-3