Photo courtesy of Jay Wise.
Briarwood Christian School’s girls tennis team finished second in the Class 4A/5A state standings at the Mobile Tennis Center in April, falling one point short of champion Saint James in a race that wasn’t decided until the final match of the day. Freshman Sarah Wolf and junior Alexis Carter each won individual singles titles, and senior Madelyn Hunt reached the No. 1 singles final before falling in three sets to Guntersville’s Perry Stewart.
One point. That was the margin separating Briarwood Christian School’s girls tennis team from a Class 4A/5A state championship at the Mobile Tennis Center in April, in what turned into one of the closest team races of the entire tournament.
The Lions finished with 62 points, one behind champion Saint James, in a race that wasn’t decided until the final match of the day. Briarwood’s girls had led or been tied for the lead through most of the tournament, and they put multiple players deep into the bracket before Saint James edged them at the finish.
Senior Madelyn Hunt was the team’s anchor, reaching the No. 1 singles final before falling to Guntersville’s Perry Stewart 6-4, 4-6, 10-3 in a competitive three-set match. Hunt had been dominant throughout the bracket, beating Saint James’ Helen Johnston in the third round and Deshler’s Abigail Black in the semifinals to earn her spot in the final.
Freshman Sarah Wolf won the No. 2 singles title, beating Donoho’s Natalie Rodgers 6-1, 6-3 in the championship match. Junior Alexis Carter won the No. 4 singles title in three sets, rallying past Donoho’s Elizabeth Downey 2-6, 6-2, 10-6.
Hunt and Wolf combined to win the No. 1 doubles title, beating Sardis’ Jesa Leigh Bonds and Callie Rae Bonds 6-2, 6-4 in the final. Sophomore Emma Jahraus and junior Margaret Harbor reached the No. 2 doubles semifinals before being eliminated. Junior Eva Leech and freshman Camille Beason reached the No. 3 doubles final before falling to Saint James’ Olivia Willis and Davis Wilsford 7-5, 6-4. Sophomore Chloe Starr also competed at No. 6 singles.
The Briarwood boys finished fourth with 37 points in a deep field won by LAMP. Sophomore Alec Perez had the deepest run, reaching the No. 1 singles semifinals before falling to eventual champion Everette Minshew of Deshler.
Freshman Charlie Johnson reached the No. 6 singles final before losing to LAMP’s Eric Yun 6-2, 6-3. Sophomore Luke Lancaster reached the No. 4 singles semifinals. Sophomore Baker Cullum reached the No. 3 singles semifinals. Perez and sophomore Rhett Shaddinger reached the No. 1 doubles semifinals before being eliminated. Lancaster and junior Luke Peevy reached the No. 3 doubles semifinals. Sophomore Dylan Faurot also competed at No. 5 singles.
