Defending Class 1A/3A girls’ state tennis champion Lauderdale County opened the first day of the 2024 AHSAA State Tennis Championships at the Mobile Tennis Center by qualifying four singles players and all three doubles teams into Friday’s state finals.

Coach Haleigh Woodard’s Tigers totaled 34 points Thursday and hold a 4-point lead over St. James heading into the final day’s competition, which starts at 8 a.m. Friday. Indian Springs is third in the points standings with 23 with Shoals Christian in fourth with 11 points.

In the Class 1A/3A boys’ competition, Providence Christian, coached by John Hughes, managed 37 points Thursday and advanced five of its six singles players into Friday’s championship matches. Covenant Christian and Tuscaloosa Academy were tied for second place with 26 points each, and the Alabama School for Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) was fourth with 22 points.

The Class 6A state tourney also got underway Thursday and was continuing at the time of this post. The AHSAA’s largest single tennis tourney was scheduled to get through all quarterfinal rounds with semifinals in singles and doubles to be completed Friday.

Mountain Brook’s girls, who came into the 6A tourney riding a six-year state championship winning streak, was trailing first-day leader St. Paul’s 47-44 with a few matches still underway at 8 p.m., Thursday. The Spartans boys, who won the school’s 27th state tennis title last season, led the boys’ competition with 44 points. Hartselle was second with 29, Northridge third with 28 and Spanish Fort fourth with 26.

Lauderdale County, which became the first public school to win a state crown in the 1A/3A division history last year, advanced No. 2 singles player Lizzie Tanner, No. 3 Mallory McConnell, No. 4 Molly Burchell and No. 6 Ivey Tinker to Friday’s singles finals. Defending state champion Ella Bentley of St. Luke’s downed Decatur Heritage’s Murphy Founds in the No. 1 semis 6-2, 6-0 and will face Indian Springs’ Sohana Coplash in Friday’s finals. Coplash won her semifinal match over Reilly Taylor of St. James.

Coplash and Marley Nadler also advanced to the No. 1 doubles finals and will face Lauderdale Country’s Molly Burchell and Jilly Tanner.

In the boys’ action, Tuscaloosa Academy’s Jonni Kneer beat Ashton Storey of ASCTE in his No. 1 singles semifinal match 6-0, 6-0, and will meet Providence Christian’s Jackson Hughes, a 6-4, 7-5 winner of 2023 state runner-up Michael Vandiver of Decatur Heritage, the championship match Friday.

Providence Christian also advanced Mason McCallister (No. 2), Wyatt Mixson (No. 3), Hampton Baxley (No. 4), and Cole Harrison (No. 5) to Friday’s finals.

Mountain Brook’s Pippa Roy remains unbeaten

Senior Pippi Roy, who is attempting to become just the seventh girls’ player in AHSAA history to win four No. 1 singles state titles, kept her career unbeaten record intact winning both singles matches Thursday for Mountain Brook. Coach Susan Farlow’s No. 1 ace is now 11-0 on the season and 35-0 for her prep career. Mountain Brook’s girls are vying for their 34th state crown. Their 33 titles won is the AHSAA state record.

Roy will meet St. Paul’s sophomore Emma Jane Hamilton in the semifinals Friday. Roy and Annie Lacey also moved into the No. 1 doubles semifinals winning two matches Thursday. The duo won the state title last year as well. Roy, who plans to attend Creighton University next fall, will be hoping to win her fourth No. 1 doubles title as well.

St. Paul’s, which advanced at least four singles players to the semifinals, also advanced its No. 1 doubles team, Hamiton and Emma Clement, to the semis – to face Roy and Lacey next round. That match could go a long way in deciding the 6A state title for the girls.

Mountain Brook senior Luke Schwefler won two matches Friday and advanced to Friday’s semifinals. His second win over Northridge eighth-grader Will Thom, was a 6-3, 6-3 decision.

All six singles players and all three doubles teams are still alive heading into Friday’s final day of competition as the 79th AHSAA State Tennis Championships draw to a close.

Complete match results can be found at this link.

AHSAA 2024 TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

MOBILE TENNIS CENTER

Thursday’s Results

Class 1A/3A

Boys’ Team Scoring

1) Providence Christian 37; 2) Covenant Christian 26; 3) Tuscaloosa Academy 26; 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; 8) Northside Methodist 4; 10) Whitesburg Christian 0

CLASS 1A/3A BOYS’ SINGLES

Thursday’s Semifinal Results

No. 1 semis: Jonni Kneer, Tuscaloosa Ac. def. Ashton Storey, ASCTE, 6-0, 6-0

No. 1 semis: Jackson Hughes, Providence Christian def. Michael Vandiver, Decatur Heritage, 6-4, 7-5

No. 2 semis: Elliott Stoey, ASCTE def. Holman Bearden, Tuscaloosa Ac., 6-4, 6-1

No. 2 semis: Mason McCallister, Providence Christian def. Colin Thompson, Covenant Christian, 6-2, 7-6

No. 3 semis: Tucker Williams. Covenant def. Simon Mitrev, Tuscaloosa Ac., 6-4, 6-4

No. 3 semis: Wyatt Mixson, Providence Christian def. Luke Tyson, Northside Methodist, 6-0, 7-5

No. 4 semis: Zack Bell, Covenant def. Wesley Brown, Northside Methodist, 6-2, 6-4

No. 4 semis: Hampton Baxley, Providence Christian def. Jack Purcell, Westminster-Oak Mountain 6-2, 6-4

No. 5 semis: Thomas Plott, Tuscaloosa Ac. def. Mason Truesdale, ASCTE, 6-1, 6-1

No. 5 semis: Cole Harrison, Providence Christian def. Jake Hall, Covenant Christian, 7-6 (4), 6-4

No. 6 semis: Rex Roberson, Lauderdale Co. def. Vance Lewis, Providence Christian, 4-6, 6-2, 10-4

No. 6 semis: Carson Spain, Covenant def. Tucker Massey, ASCTE, 6-2, 6-2

CLASS 1A/3A BOYS’ DOUBLES

Thursday’s Semifinal Results

No. 1 semis: Jonni Kneer/Holman Bearden, Tuscaloosa Ac. def. Samuel Camp/John David Bachofer, Shoals Christian, 6-1, 6-1

No. 1 semis: Mason McCallister/Jackson Hughes, Providence Christian def. Ashton Storey/Elliott  Storey, ASCTE, 6-3, 6-2

No. 2 semis: Wyatt Mixson/Hampton Baxley, Providence Christian def. Sam Ballard/Buddy Watson, ASCTE, 6-4, 6-3

No. 2 semis: Colin Thompson/Zack Bell, Covenant Christian def. Wesley Eyrich/Jack Purcell, Westminster-Oak Mountain, 6-1, 6-0

No. 3 semis: Baker Burchell/Rex Roberson, Lauderdale Co. def. Talmadge Wright/Tucker Massey, ASCTE, 6-2, 6-4

No. 3 semis: Jake Hall/Carson Spain, Covenant Christian def. Thomas Plott/Lawson Kelly, Tuscaloosa Ac., 6-2, 6-1

Class 1A/3A Girls

Team Scoring

1) Lauderdale County 34; 2) Saint James 30; 3) Indian Springs 23; 4) Shoals Christian 13; 5) St. Luke’s Episcopal 11; 6) Providence Christian 5; 7) Decatur Heritage 2; 7) Whitesburg Christian 2

CLASS 1A/3A GIRLS’ SINGLES

Thursday’s Semifinal Results

No. 1 semis: Ella Bentley, St. Luke’s def. Murphy Founds, Decatur Heritage, 6-2, 6-0

No. 1 semis: Sohana Caplash, Indian Springs def. Reilly Taylor, Saint James, 2-6, 6-3, 14-12

No. 2 semis: Lizzie Tanner, Lauderdale Co. def. Marley Nadler, Indian Springs, 6-4, 6-0

No. 2 semis: Lauren Watson, St. Luke’s def. Mamie Bechofer, Shoals Christian, 2-6, 6-4, 10-4

No. 3 semis: Mallory McConnell, Lauderdale Co. def. Kaleigh Owen, Shoals Christian, 6-1, 6-0

No. 3 semis: Karly Bailey, Saint James def. Elizabeth Trembley-Cox, Indian Springs, 6-3, 6-0

No. 4 semis: Davis Wilsford, Saint James def. Chloe Wohlschlaeger, Whitesburg, 6-0, 6-0

No. 4 semis: Molly Burchell, Lauderdale Co. def. Tessa Trembley-Cox, Indian Springs, 6-0, 6-0

No. 5 semis: Helen Johnston, Saint James def. Allie Campbell, Providence Christian, 6-2, 6-0

No. 5 semis: Lyla Wells, Shoals Christian, def. Paige Davis, Lauderdale Co., 6-1, 1-6, 10-4

No. 6 semis: Addison Seale, Saint James def. Molly Phillips, Shoals Christian, 6-0, 6-1

No. 6 semis: Ivey Tinker, Lauderdale Co. def. Coco You, Indian Springs, 6-0, 6-0

CLASS 1A/3A GIRLS’ DOUBLES

Thursday’s Semifinal Results

No. 1 semis:  Sohana Caplash/Marley Nadler, Indian Springs def. Ella Bentley/Lauren Watson, St. Luke’s, 6-4, 3-6, 15-13

No. 1 semis: Molly Burchell/Jilly Tanner, Lauderdale Co. def. Owen Thompson/Ella Hall, Providence Christian, 5-7, 6-3, 10-7

No. 2 semis: Reilly Taylor/Addison Seale/Saint James def. Elizabeth Tremble-Cox/Tessa Trembley-Cox, Indian Springs, 6-0, 6-2

No. 2 semis: Lizzie Tanner/Mallory McConnell, Lauderdale Co. def. Mami Bachofer/Kaleigh Owen, Shoals Christian, 6-1, 6-1

No. 3 semis: Raleigh Court/Helen Johnston, Saint James def. Elizabeth Ann Ingram/Haisten Grace Price, Providence Christian, 6-0, 6-2

No. 3 semis: Anna Paige Davis/Ivey Tinker, Lauderdale Co. def. Audrey Fendley/Shelby Stevens, St. Luke’s, 6-2, 6-2

Class 6A

Boys’ Team Scoring 1) Mountain Brook 44; 2) Hartselle 29; 3) Northridge 28; 4) Spanish Fort 26; 5) Briarwood Christian 20; 6) Trinity Presbyterian 19; 7) St. Paul’s Episcopal 18; 8) McGill-Toolen 14; 9) Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 12; 10) Gardendale 11; 10) Muscle Shoals 11; 12) Mortimer Jordan 8; 13) Decatur 2; 13) Fort Payne 2; 13) Hazel Green 2; 13) Pell City 2; 13) Wetumpka 2

Class 6A Girls

Team Scoring

1) St. Paul’s Episcopal 47; 2) Mountain Brook 44; 3) Northridge 30; 4) McGill-Toolen 23; 5) Hartselle 22; 5) Muscle Shoals 22; 7) Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 20; 8) Trinity 16; 9) Pell City 15; 10) Cullman 12; 11) Fort Payne 9; 12) Gardendale 6; 12) Briarwood Christian 6; 12) Madison Academy 6; 15) Pike Road 4; 16) Spanish Fort 2