KANAWHA CITY, W.Va. — Charleston Catholic’s boys tennis team continues to be among the most successful of any athletics program across West Virginia.
Logan’s girls cemented their legacy and made history in the process.
Both the Irish boys and Wildcat girls reigned supreme and garnered Division 2 team titles Friday in the WVSSAC State Tennis Meet at the Kanawha City Community Center.
One year after Logan’s girls fell short against Williamstown in the final, 4-3, the Wildcats generated their desired outcome with a 4-2 victory against Charleston Catholic for the first girls tennis state championship in school history.
“Our message was what our shirts say — last point mentality and let’s not get off this court until we win the last point,” Logan coach Justin Turner said. “That’s what we pretty much preached all year long and what they accomplished today.”
Shelby Mullins wrapped up the fourth team point with an 8-3 victory against Stella Bailey in No. 2 singles.
“Pressure fuels my fire,” Mullins said. “The more pressure, I feel like I have a point to prove. Last year, I was in the same situation and fell short, so this year it was important for me to come through and show that we would win.”
Mullins was also part of a No. 1 doubles victory, teaming with Jada Adkins for an 8-2 victory over Mira Bali and Addy Gray.
“I have two roles on the team — one seed doubles and two seed singles and I have to focus on my matches and lock in to play my best,” Mullins said.
That was Logan’s lone point out of doubles, but the Wildcats handled matters in each of the three completed singles matches, with Adkins defeating Bali 8-2 and Makena Goldie recording an 8-6 victory over Ella Grace Gillis.
“We felt like we were prepared to take on anybody,” Turner said. “We’ve been the No. 1 seed all year, and we did what a rightful one seed does.”
The Irish got their points from a pair of 8-3 doubles wins as Bailey and Alyssa Hanna defeated Goldie and Keelyn Perry, while Gillis and Kara Fox got the better of Olivia Bell and Laila Maynard.
There would be no getting the better of the CCHS boys as a whole. The Irish notched a second straight state championship, third in four years and astounding 14th since 2004 by defeating Williamstown, 4-2.
“A lot of this tennis business is not won on the day of the tournament,” Irish coach David Sadd said. “A lot of it won way before the tournament. In the case of the boys, the practices are demanding and tough, but they like it. They don’t need me to push them or tell them what to do. I might make a few changes here and there while a match is going on, but they know what to do. They want to play and don’t mind being coached, so it’s a good culture.”
It marked the second straight season the Irish knocked off the Yellowjackets in the final, while those two programs have combined to win the last seven state championships.
Charleston Catholic was spearheaded by a competitive No. 1 doubles win from Winston Hunter and Alistair Gould, who secured a 9-7 victory against Brady Woodard and Isaac Harris.
Sadd felt Gould’s efforts played a major role in the outcome.
“He really carried one doubles. He has a great partner in Winston Hunter, but Alistair was unbelievable today,” Sadd said. “His play was the difference in No. 1 doubles.”
Abdul Bali and Mateen Summers joined forces to give Catholic an 8-2 win over Brady Anderson and Noah Mourat in a No. 2 doubles match.
Hunter and Bali then handled business in singles play with the former topping Woodard 8-3 in a No. 1 match and the latter having his way with Harris in a No. 2 match, 8-0.
Anderson’s 8-2 singles win over Summers along with Xavier Graeber and JP Strobl defeating Henry Adams and Sabian Rashid 8-2 in a doubles match provided Williamstown, the No. 1 seed, with its two points.