PREP UPDATE: St. James tennis earns title and second place in state; PCA softball knocks off ACA

St. James boys and girls tennis teams competed in the 1A-3A state tournament with the boys winning the title and girls finishing second. (Contributed)

COMBINED REPORTS

MOBILE -- The St. James boys’ tennis team did not lose a set in any of the championship matches, dominating the Class 1A-3A competition on the way to the Trojans’ first-ever state championship in boys’ tennis.

The girls’ tennis team finished as 1A-3A runner-up, giving boys’ coach Ben Bradshaw and girls’ coach Geoff Waring plenty of hardware to bring back from the Mobile Tennis Center on Tuesday.

The boys won all six singles titles and all three doubles titles to finish with 65 points, easily beating three teams tied for second with 18 points: Alabama School for Cyber Technology and Engineering, Indian Springs and Providence Christian.

“We knew we had a good team,” Bradshaw said. “We do have an experienced team with five seniors on the team. It’s just a matter of making sure it all comes together and they stepped up big-time in the state tournament.

“There are a lot of good teams in town, so we have a lot of competition in Montgomery. It’s amazing, the depth of high school tennis in Montgomery. I think that really got us prepared. They didn’t lose a set in the two days of the tournament. That was the impressive thing, how they kept their focus and their composure, even when there were strong opponents.”

The Trojans were anchored by four experienced seniors -- Toba Rios, Joshua Harvey and the Jeong brothers, Ryan and Jason -- who finished third in the 4A-5A state tennis tournament a year ago.

“We didn’t know any of the (1A-3A) teams there so we couldn’t be reckless with how we played,” Rios said. “We were cautious and we stayed steady and came away with a great win.

“It feels really good. Last year, when the yearbook (staff) asked me the projection for the next season, which is this one, I told them we were going to win state, without a doubt. Having that come to fruition is a really big deal for all the seniors that have been working really hard for the last four years to win this. The two twins, the Jeong twins, played in the eighth grade and (finished as runner-up), so for them to win is really great.”

In singles, No. 1 Rios defeated Decatur Heritage’s Michael Vandiver (6-2, 6-1), No. 2 Harvey beat ASCTE’s Elliott Storey (6-0, 6-1), No. 3 Danny Trock beat Indian Springs’ Fritz Mann (6-3, 6-3), No. 4 Ryan Jeong defeated Covenant Christian’s Zack Bell (6-0, 6-1), No. 5 Jason Jeong beat Covenant Christian’s Jake Hall (6-0, 6-0) and No. 6 Grayson Eaves beat Indian Springs’ Henry Wilder (6-2, 6-1),

In doubles, No. 1 Rios-Harvey beat Faith Christian’s Elijah Mitchell and Joshua Goode (6-1, 6-2), No. 2 Trock-Ryan Jeong beat ASCTE’s Storey and Buddy Watson (6-0, 6-3) and No. 3 Eaves-Jason Jeong defeated Providence Christian’s Whit Rickard and Creel Capps (6-0, 6-4).

The St. James’ girls reached the finals in two singles’ matches and one doubles, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overtake Lauderdale County, which finished with 53 points. The Trojans were second with 32 points, not enough to challenge for the championship but enough to bump up the tennis program to Class 4A in the next classification because of Competitive Balance Factor.

St. James’ Stella Sponseller reached the finals at No. 2 before losing to Elizabeth Trembly-Loy of Indian Springs. At No. 3, Karly Bailey lost a close match to Providence Christian’s Owen Thompson and at No. 6, Addison Seale dropped a heartbreaker to Lauderdale County’s Sara Childress.

At No. 3 doubles, Childress teamed with Anna Paige Davis to defeat St. James’ Raleigh Court and Davis Wilsford, 7-5, 1-6, 11-9.

BOYS TENNIS

Trinity in third place but two matches suspended until Friday

MOBILE -- While Mountain Brook’s boys had already sewn up its 27th state championship with a 35-point lead, the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles matches were not completed and were rescheduled to be played Friday at Lagoon Park.

The No. 1 doubles match between Mountain Brook’s duo of Gayden and Luke Schwefler and Trinity’s James and Samuel Treadwell could determine second place in the 6A tournament, with Homewood currently in second place with 49 points but Trinity close behind with 46.

Schwefler advanced to the No. 1 singles finals with a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-2, 10-4 win over Trinity’s Timothy Hornsby. He will face Spanish Fort’s Goodwin Holley in the championship match at Lagoon Park as well Friday.

At No. 3, James Treadwell also advanced to the finals before losing to Mountain Brook’s Thomas Austin.

At No. 4, Trinity’s Hudson Cornett lost to Mountain Brook’s Guy Mitchell in the semifinals, while at No. 5, Trinity’s Trevor Wilson lost to Homewood’s Sam Housman in the semifinals. At No. 6, Trinity’s Charlie Franklin lost to Spanish Fort’s Jacob Thorn in the second round.

In doubles, Trinity’s No. 3 team of Wilson and Grant Speagle reached the finals before losing to Austin and Mitchell of Mountain Brook, 6-1, 6-1.

GIRLS TENNIS

Trinity finishes in seventh place in 6A tournament

MOBILE -- Trinity closed out play with two losses in the semifinals on Tuesday, finishing in seventh place with 15 points in the 6A state tournament.

At No. 4 singles, Mountain Brook’s Mary Neale Polk defeated Trinity’s Aniston Skipworth in the semifinals. At No. 5, Northridge’s Alexandra Salekin beat Trinity’s Sally Warren in the semifinals.

Mountain Brook cruised to the 6A state championship with 84 points, easily ahead of runner-up Decatur with 52. St. Paul’s Episcopal finished in third with 36 points, followed by Northridge (32), Gardendale (17), McGill-Toolen (17), Hartselle (15), Trinity Presbyterian (15), Altamont (12), Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (12), Pell City (9), Cullman (5) and Pike Road (5).

BOYS SOCCER

Pike Road 6, Catholic 1

Catholic closed out the regular season at home, losing 6-1 to Pike Road on Tuesday.

Joey Rodriguez scored the Knights’ lone goal with an assist by Will Belsterling.

Catholic (14-6-2) travels to Daphne on Tuesday to face Bayside Academy in the first round of the 4A state playoffs.

GIRLS SOCCER

St. James 5, Helena 0

KK Corley scored her first goal of the year on an assist by Katie Brightwell before Brightwell tallied the next four goals on assists by Hope McCain, Hannah McCain and Mary Grace Hixon in a 5-0 win over Helena at Carlisle Field on Tuesday.  

The Saint James’ defense, led by Hope and Hannah McCain, worked tirelessly to limit Helena's opportunities on the afternoon, recording the shut out along with Katie Irving in goal.  

The Trojans return to action in the first round of the 1A-3A state playoffs against Prattville Christian on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

SOFTBALL

St. James 14, LAMP 3

The Trojans scored four runs in the second inning and three more in the third to make quick work of the Golden Tigers in a 14-3 rout shortened to five innings by the mercy rule on Tuesday.

Sydney Johnston went 2 for 4 with a run scored and three RBIs, Tat Shuford went 2 for 4 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs, Peyton Dees went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI, Emerson Hagen went 2 for 2 with two runs scored and an RBI and Emily Darby went 1 for 2 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs.

Emily Needham picked up the win in the circle, allowing just a pair of hits and one earned run in four innings while walking three and striking out seven. Hagen pitched the fifth inning, allowing one hit.

Raileigh Mims had a double and Joanna Joiner and Lacey Rust had singles for LAMP.

St. James (21-12-1) plays Montgomery Academy at home on Monday in the first round of the 3A Area 6 tournament, while LAMP will play a first-round game in the 4A Area 4 tournament at Catholic on Friday.  

Prattville Christian 10, Alabama Christian 0

PRATTVILLE -- Alivia Messick and Lara Beth Nesmith combined for a three-hit shutout as the Panthers defeated Alabama Christian in five innings on Tuesday.  

Saniyah Weaver went 3 for 3 to lead Prattville Christian, while Sarah Williams was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Sara Schmidt had a two-run double.

PCA (24-11) will return to action on Saturday at Prattville High, facing Brantley at 11 a.m. and G.W. Long at 5 p.m.

BOYS GOLF

MA boys finish eighth in the Raider Eagle Invitational

The Montgomery Academy golf team finished in eighth place in the Raider Eagle Invitational, a tournament that included schools from 3A to 7A. Montgomery Academy had the lowest stroke play round of any of the other 3A schools.

Montgomery Academy finished with a team score of 319. Breland Burnham and McRae Foshee tied for low medalist honors, each shooting a 79. William Hall was a stroke back at 80, followed by Mac Freeman at 81 and Joe Drumwright at 85.