Donoho’s girls dominates sectional, wins by a wide margin to earn spot in state tennis tournament at Lagoon Park
JACKSONVILLE – The players on the Donoho girls tennis team figure they have some unfinished business down in Montgomery. But they couldn’t take care of that business until they took care of it closer to home Tuesday.
The Lady Falcons swept through their Class 1A-3A sectionals at Jacksonville State to advance to the State Tournament next week at Lagoon Park.
“I am very proud of our girls for staying focused on the job at hand and finishing out sectionals in a strong way to prepare us to make another run at state,” coach Kristi Alderman said. “We’ve been focused on one match at a time because you have to win your section to get to state.”
The Lady Falcons blew away the field, winning every court without losing a set and scoring 63 points. Westminster-Oak Mountain was the second team out of the section with 31 points.
Montgomery Catholic won all three doubles positions to edge out Westminster Oak Mountain, 55-48, for the boys section title. Both teams advance to the state tournament.
Faith Christian boys came in third with 19 points; Aiden Elliott, No. 6 singles player for the Lions, was a finalist. Donoho was right behind with 16 points to finish fourth.
Donoho’s girls were so dominant they only went to a tiebreaker once and No. 4 singles Harper Pumroy won the third set even though the trip to Montgomery already was clinched. They Lady Falcons played a total of 63 sets in sectional play this year and dropped only one.
“She hung in there and fought to get that win,” Alderman said. “We were going to go to state whether she won that court or not, but she hung in there and fought to win her court.”
Donoho No. 1 Claire Hillman cruised through her draw without dropping a game. Hillman was the singles runner-up at the 2021 state tournament, and now she has a chance to claim the top position in the state next week.
She teamed with Lily Grace Draper, last year’s top doubles duo in the state, easily won the No. 1 doubles draw at the Section 2 tournament.
Veterans Draper (No. 2), Mary Marshall Perry (No. 3), Pumroy (No. 4), and Blair Kitchen (No. 5) won their respective draws. Newcomer Anne Marie Harris made her contribution to the Donoho tennis tradition by winning at No. 6 Singles.
Donoho’s Perry and Pumroy won No. 2 Doubles, while Kitchen and Harris claimed the No. 3 Doubles title.
The Lady Falcons finished second at State last year. They will continue to be one of the youngest teams in the field with four juniors and two freshmen, but they are experienced. Five of their six are making a return trip with freshman Anne Marie Harris filling the vacancy left by Claire Walker’s graduation.
AHSAA 1A-3A SECTIONAL
GIRLS
TEAM SCORES: Donoho 63, Westminster-Oak Mountain 31, Prattville Christian 24, Montgomery Catholic 22, Victory Christian 0, Dadeville 0, Cornerstone 0.
LOCAL RESULTS
No. 1 Singles: Claire Hillman (Do) d. KeAsia Norris (Da), 6-0, 6-0; Hadley Burch (V) d. Meagan Ford (F), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; Hillman (Do) d. Burch (V), 6-0, 6-0; Finals – Hillman (Do) d. Ashley Brooke Tomberlin (W), 6-0, 6-0.
No. 2 Singles: Lily Grace Draper (Do) d. Zoie Fisher (C), 6-0 6-0; Caroline Schumpert (P) d. Ally Folsom (F), 6-0, 6-0; Draper (Do) d Maria Swartz (M), 6-0, 6-0; Finals – Draper (Do) d Jenna Richardson (W) 6-2, 6-1.
No. 3 Singles: Mary Marshall Perry (Do) d Mari Gold (Da), 6-0, 6-0; Wilson Samuels (M) d. Lauren Holder (F) 3-6, 6-1, 10-8; Perry (F) d. Boston King (P), 6-0, 6-1; Finals – Draper (Do) d. Ellie Tankersley (W), 6-1, 6-1.
No. 4 Singles: Emily Hall (V) d. Isabella Diaz (F), 7-6 (7-0), 6-0; Harper Pumroy (Do) d Claire Smith (Da), 6-2, 6-0; Pumroy (Do) d. Hall (V), 6-1, 6-1; Finals – Pumroy (Do) d. Elizabeth Mann (W), 6-2 2-6, 10-4.
No. 5 Singles: Blaire Kitchen (Do) d. Kiava Maddox (Da), 6-0, 6-0; Mary Helen Greene (M) d Annie Minish (F) 6-2, 6-2; Kitchen (Do) d. Greene (M) 6-0, 6-1; Finals – Kitchen (Do) d. Amanda Lamar, withdrawal (injury).
No. 6 Singles: Anne Marie Harris (Do) d. Kennidy Washington (C), 6-0, 6-0; Darby Webb (M) d. Kelsey Brown (F) 5-7, 6-3, 10-4; Harris (Do) d. Webb (M), 6-0, 6-0; Finals – Harris (Do) d. Claire Dewberry (W), 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
No. 1 Doubles: Claire Hillman/Lily Grace Draper (Do) d. KeAsia Norris/Destiny Brown (Da), 6-0, 6-0; Megan Ford/Ally Folsom (F) d. Handley Burch/Maggie Davenport (V) 6-4, 6-3; Hillman/Draper (Do) d. Ford/Folsom (F), 6-0, 6-0; Finals – Hillman/Draper (Do) d. Ella Newell/Maria Swartz (M), 6-1 6-1.
No. 2 Doubles: Mary Marshall Perry/Harper Pumroy (Do) d. Nyma Jones/Gabby Bolden (C), 6-0, 6-0; Ellie Tankersley/Elizabeth Mann (W) d. Lauren Holder/Isabella Diaz (F), 6-1, 6-0; Perry/Pumroy (Do) d. Wilson Samuels/Katherine Reardon (M), 6-2, 6-2; Finals – Perry/Pumroy (Do) d. Sydney Lee/Ella Jane Connell (P), 6-2, 6-1.
No. 3 Doubles: Blaire Kitchen/Anne Marie Harris (Do) d. Samantha Robinson/Jazzy Baker (Da), 6-0, 6-0; Mary Helen Greene/Ella Castanza (M) d. Annie Minish/Chloe Belcher (F), 7-5, 7-5; Kitchen/Harris (Do) d. Greene/Castanza (M), 6-2, 6-0; Finals – Kitchen/Harris (Do) d. Amanda Lamar/Gracie Fuller (P), forfeit.
BOYS
TEAM SCORES: Montgomery Catholic 55, Oak Mountain 48, Faith Christian 19, Donoho 16.
LOCAL RESULTS
No. 1 Singles: Zack Cater (Do) d. Billy Davenport (V), 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 10-2; Eli Mitchell (F) d. Jace Johnson (P), 6-0, 6-0; Cooper Davis (M) d. Cater (Do), 6-0, 6-0; Grant Eller (W) d. Mitchell (F), 6-4, 6-1.
No. 2 Singles: Collier Davenport (P) d. Bruce Downey (Do), 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 10-6; Josh Goode (F) d. Clay Harris (Da), 6-0 6-0; Sebastien Sayegh (M) d. Goode (F), 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-8).
No. 3 Singles: William Wilson-Hueter (V) d. Joshua Muse (F), 6-1, 7-5; Rishi Reddy (Do) d. Tucker Rhodes (Da), 6-0, 6-0; Mark Osten (M) d. Reddy (Do), 6-0, 6-2.
No. 4 Singles: Marshall Twigg (Do) d. Grayson Knox (Da), 6-3, 6-3; Gavin Randall (F) d. Brady Shadix (V), 6-1, 6-0; Liam Munnings (W) d. Twigg (Do), 6-2, 6-0; Davis Huston (M) d Randall (F), 6-0, 6-1.
No. 5 Singles: Demarcus Johnson (Da) d. Evan Smith (F), 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 10-1; Cainan Stacks (Do) d. Jude Swiney (V), 6-1, 6-1; Peter Walski (M) d. Stacks (Do), 6-2, 6-3.
No. 6 Singles: Lucas Elliott (Do) Dylan Worchester (Da), 6-1, 6-0; Aidan Elliott (F) d. Asa Warren (V), 6-3, 6-1; Porter Lunsford (W) d Elliott (Do), forfeit; Elliott (F) d. Stephen Underwood (M), 4-6, 6-1, 10-5; Finals – Porter Lunsford (W) d Elliott (F) 6-1, 6-4.
No. 1 Doubles: Josh Goode/Joshua Muse (F) d. Zach Cater/Marshall Twigg (Do), 7-5, 6-1; Cooper Davis/Sebastien Sayegh (M) d. Goode/Muse (F), 6-3, 6-1.
No. 2 Doubles: Bruce Downey/Rishi Reddy (Do) d. Clay Harris/Grayson Knox (Da), 6-1, 6-0; Eli Mitchell/Aidan Elliott (F) d. William Wilson-Hueter/Brady Shadix (V), 6-0, 6-1; Mark Osten/David Huston (M) d. Downey/Reddy (Do), 6-3, 6-4; Andrew Robinson/Liam Munnings (W) d. Mitchell/Elliott (F), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6).
No. 3 Doubles: Cainan Stack/Lucas Elliott (Do) d. Jude Swiney/Jacob Wildes (V), 6-1, 6-1; Gavin Randall/Evan Smith (F) d. Demarcus Johnson/Owen Higgins, 6-1, 6-2; Wesley Eyrich/Porter Lunsford (W) d Stacks/Elliott (Do), 6-1, 6-2; Peter Walski/Stephen Underwood (M) d. Randall/Smith (F), 6-3, 6-2.
Dr. Jay Walker contributed to this report. [*** read more]
